Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic Rationality
We examined how scientific literacy (scientific reasoning, scientific knowledge, and trust in science), analytical thinking and the importance of epistemic rationality relate to the belief in the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and other health-related unfounded beliefs (CO...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Studia Psychologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.savba.sk/index.php/studiapsychologica/article/view/1352 |
| _version_ | 1797671846904070144 |
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| author | Viktória Sunyik Vladimíra Čavojová |
| author_facet | Viktória Sunyik Vladimíra Čavojová |
| author_sort | Viktória Sunyik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
We examined how scientific literacy (scientific reasoning, scientific knowledge, and trust in science), analytical thinking and the importance of epistemic rationality relate to the belief in the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and other health-related unfounded beliefs (COVID-19 conspiracies, pseudoscientific and magical beliefs, and cancer myths). A representative sample of 1038 Slovaks (Mage = 42.08, SD = 13.99) participated in the study. While CAM belief correlated with COVID-19 conspiracy theories, pseudoscientific beliefs, magical health-related beliefs, and cancer myths, it appeared that belief in CAM was primarily driven by lower trust in science, lower analytical thinking, and, interestingly, a higher need to be epistemically rational. Other components of scientific literacy did not significantly predict CAM belief but they did predict other health-related unfounded beliefs, which may suggest that a more fine-tuned approach to studying CAM beliefs is needed.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:21:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6090c2e457449dbabbb7312bf46d974 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0039-3320 2585-8815 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:21:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studia Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6090c2e457449dbabbb7312bf46d9742023-09-28T06:45:50ZengSlovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Social and Psychological SciencesStudia Psychologica0039-33202585-88152023-09-0165310.31577/sp.2023.03.878Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic RationalityViktória Sunyik0Vladimíra Čavojová1Institute of Experimental Psychology, Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak RepublicInstitute of Experimental Psychology, Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic We examined how scientific literacy (scientific reasoning, scientific knowledge, and trust in science), analytical thinking and the importance of epistemic rationality relate to the belief in the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and other health-related unfounded beliefs (COVID-19 conspiracies, pseudoscientific and magical beliefs, and cancer myths). A representative sample of 1038 Slovaks (Mage = 42.08, SD = 13.99) participated in the study. While CAM belief correlated with COVID-19 conspiracy theories, pseudoscientific beliefs, magical health-related beliefs, and cancer myths, it appeared that belief in CAM was primarily driven by lower trust in science, lower analytical thinking, and, interestingly, a higher need to be epistemically rational. Other components of scientific literacy did not significantly predict CAM belief but they did predict other health-related unfounded beliefs, which may suggest that a more fine-tuned approach to studying CAM beliefs is needed. https://journals.savba.sk/index.php/studiapsychologica/article/view/1352scientific literacyhealth-related unfounded beliefsalternative medicineanalytical thinkingimportance of rationality |
| spellingShingle | Viktória Sunyik Vladimíra Čavojová Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic Rationality Studia Psychologica scientific literacy health-related unfounded beliefs alternative medicine analytical thinking importance of rationality |
| title | Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic Rationality |
| title_full | Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic Rationality |
| title_fullStr | Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic Rationality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic Rationality |
| title_short | Alternative Medicine, COVID-19 Conspiracies, and Other Health-Related Unfounded Beliefs: The Role of Scientific Literacy, Analytical Thinking, and Importance of Epistemic Rationality |
| title_sort | alternative medicine covid 19 conspiracies and other health related unfounded beliefs the role of scientific literacy analytical thinking and importance of epistemic rationality |
| topic | scientific literacy health-related unfounded beliefs alternative medicine analytical thinking importance of rationality |
| url | https://journals.savba.sk/index.php/studiapsychologica/article/view/1352 |
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