Combatting COVID conspiracy theories: Nova Scotia professors explain the science behind why some people fear vaccines
The vaccine is full of nanobots, put there by Bill Gates to track people and increase his world power.
Not only will the vaccine change your DNA, but it will also emit a coloured dye throughout your body, so when scanned, authorities can easily see who has been vaccinated or not.
On top of that, the scientists who could discover the nanobots and stop the dye are purposely being killed off by the virus.
Sounds ridiculous, right? It would be funny if people didn’t believe it.
Most people know of someone who stubbornly clings to these conspiracy theories, and nothing can convince them otherwise. But where do they come from, and why do people so ardently believe them?
According to Kathryn Bell, a professor in the psychology department at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., conspiracy theories have existed throughout history. The internet, she says, just helps to shine a light on them more readily.
“Conspiracy theories reflect the societal anxieties and uncertainty arising at that point in time in history,” she explains.
“People who believe in conspiracy theories are no less smart than other people. In fact, humans are all susceptible, to some degree, in believing in conspiracy theories.”
Humans seek patterns and are prone to perceiving patterns even when they do not exist. Conspiracy theories and other false beliefs can develop from these misperceptions – especially in situations where information is incomplete or in response to seemingly coincidental or random events, such as disasters, explains Bell.
For example, if the cause of a new disease outbreak is unknown, false beliefs can develop to fill in this knowledge gap, she says. In general, Bell explains, people have a bias towards wanting complete information and having an explanation of why events happen in life so they can better predict and respond to potential threats in our environment.
“This bias can make us feel more in control – especially in circumstances that are less predictable and more uncertain – but it can also lead to errors in thinking,” says Bell.
Bell says people see cause-and-effect relationships where there aren’t any. So, for example, if someone with COVID-19 symptoms drinks lemon juice and shortly thereafter notices their symptoms dissipate, they might falsely think it’s because of the juice, rather than considering it could have been the passage of time and the body’s immune system naturally fighting the virus.
“We are all susceptible to these cognitive biases and thinking errors,” says Bell.
But, she adds, people who believe in conspiracy theories might be more likely to see meaning or patterns in random or coincidental events and are less aware they are doing so.
Social media’s impact
Conspiracy theorists may be more likely to seek out and accept information that’s consistent with their beliefs and ignore information that disproves what they believe in, says Bell. There’s a term for that: confirmation bias.
And the algorithms on social media don’t help.
According to Darcy Benoit, director of the school computer science at Acadia, when people watch and interact with videos or posts on social media, that information is tracked. These platforms build up a profile of how people interact with posts and ads, then they start suggesting more posts and videos that match with the profile.
This means people who are more likely to believe the conspiracy theories end up getting more of those videos pushed their way, and go further down the rabbit hole, he says. This further leads to a confirmation bias.
Changing the bias
Beliefs are hard to change, explains Bell, so after a person develops a belief in a conspiracy theory, it may be hard to change their mind.
Confronting them, mocking them, or trying to convince them by providing factual information is not likely to be effective, she says. It may even backfire and push them further towards their conspiratorial beliefs.
Instead, Bell says a better approach is to engage in a calm, non-confrontational discussion, acknowledging the fears they have that might be fuelling their way of thinking. In the case of COVID, she says, it may be fears related to not knowing the origins of the virus or how to effectively treat it.
“Questions encouraging critical thinking about the issue may also help the person to consider other viewpoints and step back to evaluate their own biases that might be affecting their thinking about the issue,” says Bell.
Scientific literacy
One way to prevent conspiracy theories from forming is by developing scientific literacy, teaching people how the scientific process works and how to evaluate claims using scientific evidence.
Early intervention or public response to disinformation can help prevent people from developing conspiracy theories – if you can get to them before they take on further ideas, says Marc Ramsay, a professor in the philosophy department at Acadia.
That’s exactly what the Nova Scotia health department and Dalhousie Medical School are trying to do through a series of videos on social media.
The purpose of these videos is to further educate people about the many complex factors concerning the pandemic, says Jennifer Lewandowski, director of communications for the faculty of medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S.
When the medical school videos first came out in early December, Nova Scotians were seeing an increase of COVID-19 activity occurring largely in people aged 18 to 35. The student body in Dalhousie’s faculties of medicine and health is largely this demographic, making students a natural fit to host the videos, she explains.
Topics are typically chosen based on public interest concerning current events, says Lewandowski, noting they have covered everything from rapid testing to what vaccines are made of.
“By using plain language to break down the science behind the vaccines and simplify the epidemiology, Nova Scotians may better understand their role in keeping their communities safe and COVID-free,” says Lewandowski.
What if people refuse the vaccine?
In the end, if respectful conversations and presentations of the facts fail to convince an individual with a conspiracy theory to get vaccinated, they have the right to refuse medical treatment, says Andrew Biro, a professor in the department of politics at Acadia.
There are, however, consequences to those choices.
“For example, the right to travel is not a basic human right, although we are a migratory species,” he says.
Vaccine passport legislation, requiring people to show proof of vaccination when travelling, could legitimately be passed, adds Ramsay.
The wording in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms says there are limits to our rights, which are “demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”
Ramsay says provincial governments don’t want to fight with workplaces over mandatory vaccinations for their employees, although they would probably win such fights if there were charter challenges. There is some room for religious and medical exemptions, but other challenges are unlikely to succeed.
But if voluntary vaccination rates are high enough, says Ramsay, governments may not feel the need to bother with extreme measures.
“Skepticism about vaccines, or conspiracy theories, would not be accepted as grounds for an exemption. But I wonder whether they influence the decisions of people in a position to present a plausible religious claim,” says Ramsay.
The right to object to vaccination does need to be balanced against the state’s right to make authoritative judgments on collective action problems, says Ramsay.
“If disagreeing with the government on vaccination decisions and is used as a basis for doing what one wants, then there is little room left for democratic collective action,” says Ramsay. “If the state can’t override this dissent, then there is little room to maneuver for public welfare.”
On the other hand, basic control over one’s body is often treated as a core area of personal liberty – a place where people get to make their own decisions, based on any reasons they please, he says.
“That’s why the mandatory vaccine question is so tough,” says Ramsay.
Our best defense is teaching critical thinking skills, says Bell. She believes that if people are more aware of their cognitive biases – and how these biases can influence how they perceive the world – they may be more skeptical of their interpretations of events.
“There’s good information on the internet, but there is also a lot of misleading and false information,” says Bell. “Before sharing a story, image, or video you find on the internet, take a moment to verify that it’s true before spreading it to others.”
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