Just a flu? Self-perceived infection mediates the link between conspiracy beliefs and Covid-19 health beliefs and behaviors
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Yordan Kutiyski; André Krouwel; Tom Etienne; Jan-Willem van Prooijen
- Source
- Journal of Health Psychology, 27(6), 1421-1431. SAGE Publications Ltd
van Prooijen, J-W, Etienne, T, Kutiyski, Y & Krouwel, A 2022, ' Just a flu? Self-perceived infection mediates the link between conspiracy beliefs and Covid-19 health beliefs and behaviors ', Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 1421-1431 . https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053211051816
Journal of Health Psychology, 27(6):13591053211051816, 1421-1431. SAGE Publications Ltd
- Subject
- 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Distancing
media_common.quotation_subject
Intention
conspiracy theories
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Pandemic
Self perceived
Humans
institutional trust
IDEATION
Pandemics
health beliefs and behaviors
Applied Psychology
media_common
Distrust
Vaccination
PARANOIA
infection
humanities
Large sample
Medical test
Psychology
Covid-19
Social psychology
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1359-1053
The Covid-19 pandemic has inspired many conspiracy theories, which are associated with detrimental health beliefs and behaviors (e.g. reduced physical distancing; decreased vaccination intentions). We propose a previously unrecognized mediator of these relationships: A self-perceived likelihood to already have experienced a Covid-19 infection. Results from a large sample ( N = 9033) revealed that self-perceived infections mediated the link between conspiracy beliefs and health beliefs and behaviors. These findings emerged independently of institutional distrust, and actual infections as indicated by a positive medical test. These findings suggest that conspiracy beliefs shape people’s interpretation of the physical signals of their own body.