IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i22p15154-d975260.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Authority Brings Responsibility: Feedback from Experts Promotes an Overweighting of Health-Related Pseudoscientific Beliefs

Author

Listed:
  • Josue Garcia-Arch

    (Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
    Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Itxaso Barberia

    (Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
    Grup de Recerca en Cognició i Llenguatge (GRECIL), Departament de Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l’Educació, Secció Processos Cognitius, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro

    (Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
    Grup de Recerca en Cognició i Llenguatge (GRECIL), Departament de Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l’Educació, Secció Processos Cognitius, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Lluís Fuentemilla

    (Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
    Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institut de Neurociències (INUB), University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut de Neurociències (INUB), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

The popularity and spread of health-related pseudoscientific practices is a worldwide problem. Despite being counteracted by competent agents of our societies, their prevalence and spread continue to grow. Current research has focused on identifying which characteristics make us more likely to hold pseudoscientific beliefs. However, how we hold these beliefs despite all the available information against them is a question that remains unanswered. Here, we aimed to assess if the development of health-related pseudoscientific beliefs could be driven by a positive bias in belief updating. Additionally, we aimed to explore whether this bias could be exacerbated, depending on source credibility. In this study, participants (N = 116) underwent a belief updating task where they offered their agreement with various health-related pseudoscientific statements before and after receiving supporting and discrediting feedback from (a) experts (doctors), (b) peers, or (c) a random number generator. Our results suggest that when receiving feedback from experts (but not from peers or random feedback), the participants preferentially integrated supporting information relative to discrediting information about health-related pseudoscience. We discuss the implications of this biased belief updating pattern on health-related pseudoscience research and suggest new strategies for intervention focused on increasing awareness, training, and consensus among healthcare practitioners.

Suggested Citation

  • Josue Garcia-Arch & Itxaso Barberia & Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro & Lluís Fuentemilla, 2022. "Authority Brings Responsibility: Feedback from Experts Promotes an Overweighting of Health-Related Pseudoscientific Beliefs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:22:p:15154-:d:975260
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/22/15154/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/22/15154/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mohd Noor Norhayati & Ruhana Che Yusof & Mohd Yacob Azman, 2021. "Prevalence of Psychological Impacts on Healthcare Providers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Asia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Mariana Vidal & Cláudia Carvalho & Regina Bispo, 2013. "Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in a Sample of Women With Breast Cancer," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(3), pages 21582440135, August.
    3. Vojtěch Bartoš & Michal Bauer & Jana Cahlíková & Julie Chytilová, 2022. "Communicating doctors’ consensus persistently increases COVID-19 vaccinations," Nature, Nature, vol. 606(7914), pages 542-549, June.
    4. Kappes, Andreas & Sharot, Tali, 2019. "The automatic nature of motivated belief updating," Behavioural Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 87-103, May.
    5. Elena Cattaneo & Gilberto Corbellini, 2014. "Stem cells: Taking a stand against pseudoscience," Nature, Nature, vol. 510(7505), pages 333-335, June.
    6. Christopher. A. Kelly & Tali Sharot, 2021. "Individual differences in information-seeking," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Julie Y. L. Chow & Ben Colagiuri & Benjamin M. Rottman & Micah Goldwater & Evan J. Livesey, 2021. "Pseudoscientific Health Beliefs and the Perceived Frequency of Causal Relationships," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-16, October.
    8. Tali Sharot & Cass R. Sunstein, 2020. "How people decide what they want to know," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 14-19, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabella Rischall & Laura Hunter & Greg Jensen & Jacqueline Gottlieb, 2023. "Inefficient prioritization of task-relevant attributes during instrumental information demand," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Konstantin Offer & Dorothee Mischkowski & Zoe Rahwan & Christoph Engel, 2024. "Deliberately Ignoring Unfairness: Responses to Uncertain Inequality in the Ultimatum Game," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2024_06, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    3. Gaia Molinaro & Irene Cogliati Dezza & Sarah Katharina Bühler & Christina Moutsiana & Tali Sharot, 2023. "Multifaceted information-seeking motives in children," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Kun Sun & Tian-Fang Zhao & Xiao-Kun Wu & Kai-Sheng Lai & Wei-Neng Chen & Jin-Sheng Zhang, 2022. "Incorporating Fuzzy Cognitive Inference for Vaccine Hesitancy Measuring," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    5. Alessandra Gorini & Mattia Giuliani & Elena Fiabane & Alice Bonomi & Paola Gabanelli & Antonia Pierobon & Pasquale Moretta & Giovanna Pagliarulo & Simona Spaccavento & Gaetano Vaudo & Matteo Pirro & M, 2022. "Prevalence of Psychopathological Symptoms and Their Determinants in Four Healthcare Workers’ Categories during the Second Year of COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-11, October.
    6. Liuling Mo & He Li & Tingshao Zhu, 2022. "Exploring the Suicide Mechanism Path of High-Suicide-Risk Adolescents—Based on Weibo Text Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    7. Doris Läpple, 2023. "Information about Climate Change Mitigation: What Do Farmers Think?," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 22(1), pages 74-80, April.
    8. Gerli, Paolo & Clement, Jessica & Esposito, Giovanni & Mora, Luca & Crutzen, Nathalie, 2022. "The hidden power of emotions: How psychological factors influence skill development in smart technology adoption," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    9. Oude Mulders, Jaap & Henkens, C.J.I.M. & van Dalen, Hendrik Peter, 2021. "Employees’ emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to increasing statutory retirement ages," Other publications TiSEM 4aab8515-50c9-4c23-bd2f-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    10. Richard Völker & Sven Grüner, 2023. "Animal protection and information avoidance," Chapters, in: Cass R. Sunstein & Lucia A. Reisch (ed.), Research Handbook on Nudges and Society, chapter 7, pages 109-128, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Alberto Prati & Charlotte Saucet, 2024. "The causal effect of a health treatment on beliefs, stated preferences and memories," Economics Series Working Papers 1031, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    12. Edika Quispe-Torreblanca & John Gathergood & George Loewenstein & Neil Stewart, 2020. "Attention Utility: Evidence from Individual Investors," CESifo Working Paper Series 8091, CESifo.
    13. Soraperra, Ivan & van der Weele, Joël & Villeval, Marie Claire & Shalvi, Shaul, 2023. "The social construction of ignorance: Experimental evidence," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 197-213.
    14. Andor, Mark Andreas & Götte, Lorenz & Price, Michael Keith & Schulze Tilling, Anna & Tomberg, Lukas, 2023. "Differences in how and why social comparisons and real-time feedback impact resource use: Evidence from a field experiment," Ruhr Economic Papers 1059, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    15. Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina & Lagerkvist, Carl Johan & Nordström, Jonas, 2021. "Interested, indifferent or active information avoiders of carbon labels: Cognitive dissonance and ascription of responsibility as motivating factors," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    16. Filip Gesiarz & Donal Cahill & Tali Sharot, 2019. "Evidence accumulation is biased by motivation: A computational account," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, June.
    17. Sergio Currarini & Francesco Feri & Bjoern Hartig & Miguel A. Meléndez-Jiménez, "undated". "To Share or Not to Share: An Experiment on Information Transmission in Networks," Discussion Papers in Economics 20/08, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.
    18. Völker, Richard & Gruener, Sven, 2023. "Wollen wir überhaupt wissen, wie der Status quo im Tierschutz ist?," OSF Preprints pbyfg, Center for Open Science.
    19. Abhishek Sharma & Chandana Hewege & Chamila Perera, 2022. "Violations of CSR Practices in the Australian Financial Industry: How Is the Decision-Making Power of Australian Women Implicated?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    20. Christopher. A. Kelly & Tali Sharot, 2021. "Individual differences in information-seeking," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:22:p:15154-:d:975260. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.