Health information and healthcare workers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does using myth busting to correct misinformation about influenza and influenza vaccinations create a backfire effect in healthcare workers?
IRAS ID
269199
Contact name
Aimée Challenger
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
In Wales, the Government advises that 60% of NHS staff with direct patient contact are vaccinated against influenza annually. However, this target has been difficult to reach. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether altering one component of the vaccination campaign, "myth busting" , would improve vaccination uptake. Myth busting refers to a strategy whereby the target population are presented with myths (e.g., "Myth: Vaccinations cause autism") and some facts that correct the myths (e.g. "Fact: vaccinations do not cause autism"). Myth busting is recommended by Public Health Wales as one of the "Seven elements to running a successful flu campaign" and in the latest NICE guidelines (NICE, 2018). However, previous research has found that myth-busting campaigns can cause more harm than good (Pluviano et al., 2019; Lewandowsky et al. 2012). They note that people remember the myth (and believe it) but not the correcting fact. In the other words the myth busting campaign can “backfire”.
This project aims to test whether the recommended myth busting approach produces the backfire effect when addressing common misconceptions about influenza. We seek permission to run a number of separate experiments testing different mythbusting factors. Front line healthcare workers from the South Wales region will be invited to take part in studies about health information. Participants will be randomly assigned to conditions that allow us to test different factors related to myth-busting influenza vaccines, such as a condition in which they read myth-busting materials (a myth followed by a corrective fact), and a condition where they read only facts. After reading the health information, participants will answer questions related to their attitudes and behavioural intentions towards the flu vaccine (e.g. “Influenza is a serious disease”; “I intend getting the flu vaccine next year”). Example materials are shown in the attachment.
REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A