Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Department of Economy, Universitas Mercatorum, 00100 Rome, Italy.
Acta Psychol (Amst). 2023 Jul;237:103945. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103945. Epub 2023 May 19.
In previous studies, anti-vaccination attitudes have been attributed either to far-right voters or to both far-left and far-right voters. The present study investigated the associations of political orientation with vaccine hesitancy and intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and the potential mediating roles of trust in science and belief in misinformation. A total of 750 Italian respondents completed an online questionnaire in the period between the second and the third wave of COVID-19 (from 9th March to 9th May 2021). The results showed that political orientation had both direct and indirect associations with vaccine hesitancy and vaccine intention, mediated by trust in science and belief in misinformation. Specifically, right-wing adherents were less trustful of scientists and believed in COVID-19-related misinformation more than left-wing adherents, and these two factors accounted for their higher vaccine hesitancy and reduced willingness to receive an anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Our findings are in line with the predictions of the mindsponge theory and suggest that communicative campaigns aimed at improving the rates of vaccine acceptance in right-wing adherents should be specifically focused on enhancing trust in science and reducing belief in misinformation.
在之前的研究中，反疫苗态度要么归因于极右翼选民，要么归因于极左和极右翼选民。本研究调查了政治取向与 COVID-19 疫苗犹豫和接种意愿的关系，以及对科学的信任和对错误信息的信仰的潜在中介作用。共有 750 名意大利受访者在 COVID-19 第二波和第三波之间（2021 年 3 月 9 日至 5 月 9 日）完成了在线问卷。结果表明，政治取向与疫苗犹豫和疫苗接种意愿既有直接关系，也有间接关系，其通过对科学的信任和对错误信息的信仰来介导。具体来说，右翼信徒对科学家的信任度较低，对与 COVID-19 相关的错误信息的信任度较高，这两个因素导致他们对疫苗的犹豫程度更高，接种意愿降低。我们的发现符合心智海绵理论的预测，并表明旨在提高右翼信徒疫苗接种率的传播活动应特别侧重于增强对科学的信任和减少对错误信息的信仰。
