‘Jumping-to-conclusions’ about vaccines: An information search perspective on anti-vaccination attitude endorsement
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Authors
Hall, Andrew
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Vaccine hesitancy , Jumping-to-conclusions cognitive style , Health judgements , Perceiving risk in health
Alternative Title
Abstract
Vaccine hesitancy has been identified among the top 10 threats to global health (WHO, 2019). Those few who are anti-vaccine have been found to be more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, be high in psychological reactance, express greater disgust toward blood and injections, and hold an individualistic-hierarchical worldview (Hornsey, Harris, & Fielding, 2018). These people will often argue that they oppose vaccines after conducting their own extensive information search, concluding that vaccines are actually unsafe and ineffective. Some will even go so far as to argue that those who get vaccinated are misinformed (Hoffman et. al, 2019). The current research examines whether ‘anti-vaxxers’ are as critical as they claim, or if they actually jump-to-conclusion (JTC). Study 1 (Chapter 2) tests this claim, where the JTC cognitive style – an information gathering bias – is included as a predictor of anti-vaccine attitudes alongside the individual differences mentioned above. Participants completed the JTC probability guessing task, the scales for each of the individual difference measures as well as two subsets of general antivaccine attitudes (e.g., vaccine hesitancy and vaccine skepticism). It was found that those who jumped-to-conclusions (e.g., consulted less information) were more likely to be vaccine hesitant and vaccine skeptical, adding to our understanding of the information search processes that underlie anti-vaccine attitudes. Further, Study 2 (Chapter 3) tested whether a JTC-specific intervention (meta-cognitive training; MCT; Moritz & Woodward, 2007) could be used to reduce a person’s level of vaccine hesitancy and vaccine skepticism, or to promote favourability toward a neutral vaccine-analogue. MCT reduced JTC behaviours but did not reduce global anti-vaccine attitudes. Implications, limitations, and the future directions of these findings are discussed.
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ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution 3.0 United States