Irrational beliefs differentially predict adherence to guidelines and pseudoscientific practices during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors
Teovanović, Predrag
Lukić, Petar

Zupan, Zorana

Lazić, Aleksandra

Ninković, Milica

Žeželj, Iris

Article (Accepted Version)
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In the coronavirus “infodemic,” people are exposed to official recommendations but also to potentially dangerous pseudoscientific advice claimed to protect against COVID-19. We examined whether irrational beliefs predict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines as well as susceptibility to such misinformation. Irrational beliefs were indexed by belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, COVID-19 knowledge overestimation, type I error cognitive biases, and cognitive intuition. Participants (N = 407) reported (1) how often they followed guidelines (e.g., handwashing, physical distancing), (2) how often they engaged in pseudoscientific practices (e.g., consuming garlic, colloidal silver), and (3) their intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Conspiratorial beliefs predicted all three outcomes in line with our expectations. Cognitive intuition and knowledge overestimation predicted lesser adherence to guidelines, while cognitive biases predicted greater adherence, but also greater use of pseudoscien...tific practices. Our results suggest an important relation between irrational beliefs and health behaviors, with conspiracy theories being the most detrimental.
Keywords:
cognitive biases / conspiracy theories / COVID-19 health behavior / knowledge overestimation / pseudoscienceSource:
Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2021, 35, 2, 486-496Note:
- This is the peer‐reviewed version of the article: Teovanović, P.; Lukić, P.; Zupan, Z.; Lazić, A.; Ninković, M.; Žeželj, I. Irrational Beliefs Differentially Predict Adherence to Guidelines and Pseudoscientific Practices during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Applied Cognitive Psychology 2021, 35 (2), 486–496. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3770
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- Version of
https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3770 - Version of
http://rfasper.fasper.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1323
DOI: 10.1002/acp.3770
ISSN: 1099-0720
WoS: 000596094900001
Scopus: 2-s2.0-85094200752
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https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.3770http://rfasper.fasper.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3787
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rFASPERTY - JOUR AU - Teovanović, Predrag AU - Lukić, Petar AU - Zupan, Zorana AU - Lazić, Aleksandra AU - Ninković, Milica AU - Žeželj, Iris PY - 2021 UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.3770 UR - http://rfasper.fasper.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3787 AB - In the coronavirus “infodemic,” people are exposed to official recommendations but also to potentially dangerous pseudoscientific advice claimed to protect against COVID-19. We examined whether irrational beliefs predict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines as well as susceptibility to such misinformation. Irrational beliefs were indexed by belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, COVID-19 knowledge overestimation, type I error cognitive biases, and cognitive intuition. Participants (N = 407) reported (1) how often they followed guidelines (e.g., handwashing, physical distancing), (2) how often they engaged in pseudoscientific practices (e.g., consuming garlic, colloidal silver), and (3) their intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Conspiratorial beliefs predicted all three outcomes in line with our expectations. Cognitive intuition and knowledge overestimation predicted lesser adherence to guidelines, while cognitive biases predicted greater adherence, but also greater use of pseudoscientific practices. Our results suggest an important relation between irrational beliefs and health behaviors, with conspiracy theories being the most detrimental. T2 - Applied Cognitive Psychology T1 - Irrational beliefs differentially predict adherence to guidelines and pseudoscientific practices during the COVID-19 pandemic EP - 496 IS - 2 SP - 486 VL - 35 DO - 10.1002/acp.3770 ER -
@article{ author = "Teovanović, Predrag and Lukić, Petar and Zupan, Zorana and Lazić, Aleksandra and Ninković, Milica and Žeželj, Iris", year = "2021", abstract = "In the coronavirus “infodemic,” people are exposed to official recommendations but also to potentially dangerous pseudoscientific advice claimed to protect against COVID-19. We examined whether irrational beliefs predict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines as well as susceptibility to such misinformation. Irrational beliefs were indexed by belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, COVID-19 knowledge overestimation, type I error cognitive biases, and cognitive intuition. Participants (N = 407) reported (1) how often they followed guidelines (e.g., handwashing, physical distancing), (2) how often they engaged in pseudoscientific practices (e.g., consuming garlic, colloidal silver), and (3) their intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Conspiratorial beliefs predicted all three outcomes in line with our expectations. Cognitive intuition and knowledge overestimation predicted lesser adherence to guidelines, while cognitive biases predicted greater adherence, but also greater use of pseudoscientific practices. Our results suggest an important relation between irrational beliefs and health behaviors, with conspiracy theories being the most detrimental.", journal = "Applied Cognitive Psychology", title = "Irrational beliefs differentially predict adherence to guidelines and pseudoscientific practices during the COVID-19 pandemic", pages = "496-486", number = "2", volume = "35", doi = "10.1002/acp.3770" }
Teovanović, P., Lukić, P., Zupan, Z., Lazić, A., Ninković, M.,& Žeželj, I.. (2021). Irrational beliefs differentially predict adherence to guidelines and pseudoscientific practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. in Applied Cognitive Psychology, 35(2), 486-496. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3770
Teovanović P, Lukić P, Zupan Z, Lazić A, Ninković M, Žeželj I. Irrational beliefs differentially predict adherence to guidelines and pseudoscientific practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. in Applied Cognitive Psychology. 2021;35(2):486-496. doi:10.1002/acp.3770 .
Teovanović, Predrag, Lukić, Petar, Zupan, Zorana, Lazić, Aleksandra, Ninković, Milica, Žeželj, Iris, "Irrational beliefs differentially predict adherence to guidelines and pseudoscientific practices during the COVID-19 pandemic" in Applied Cognitive Psychology, 35, no. 2 (2021):486-496, https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3770 . .