TY - JOUR
T1 - What drives belief in vaccination conspiracy theories in Germany?
AU - Jensen, Eric
AU - Pfleger, Axel
AU - Herbig, Lisa
AU - Wagoner, Brady
AU - Lorenz, Lars
AU - Watzlawik, Meike
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - In the midst of a pandemic, the efficacy of official measures to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis largely depends on public attitudes towards them, where conspiracy beliefs represent potential threats to the efficacy of measures such as vaccination. Here, we present predictors and outcomes associated with a COVID-19 vaccination conspiracy belief. In a representative survey of Germany, sociodemographic predictors of this belief were found to include age, federal state, migration background and school leaving qualification. The study revealed correlations with trust in scientific and governmental information sources, respondents' self-assessment of being informed about science, general conspiracy mindedness, the frequency of using Twitter and messaging apps, as well as willingness to voluntarily take the COVID-19 vaccine. Our results cohere with and build on the general literature on conspiracy mindedness and related factors. The findings provide an evidence base for more effective health and crisis communication in Germany and beyond.
AB - In the midst of a pandemic, the efficacy of official measures to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis largely depends on public attitudes towards them, where conspiracy beliefs represent potential threats to the efficacy of measures such as vaccination. Here, we present predictors and outcomes associated with a COVID-19 vaccination conspiracy belief. In a representative survey of Germany, sociodemographic predictors of this belief were found to include age, federal state, migration background and school leaving qualification. The study revealed correlations with trust in scientific and governmental information sources, respondents' self-assessment of being informed about science, general conspiracy mindedness, the frequency of using Twitter and messaging apps, as well as willingness to voluntarily take the COVID-19 vaccine. Our results cohere with and build on the general literature on conspiracy mindedness and related factors. The findings provide an evidence base for more effective health and crisis communication in Germany and beyond.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Conspiracy theories
KW - Crisis communication
KW - Health communciation
KW - Vaccination
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118103473&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fcomm.2021.678335
DO - 10.3389/fcomm.2021.678335
M3 - Journal article
SN - 2297-900X
VL - 6
JO - Frontiers in Communication
JF - Frontiers in Communication
M1 - 678335
ER -