Joe

“Evidence suggests that the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories is driven by motives that can be characterized as epistemic (needing to understand one’s environment), existential (needing to feel safe and in control of one’s environment), and social (needing to maintain a positive image of oneself and one’s in-group) (Douglas et al., 2017).”
― Steven Taylor, The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease

“Ethnic minority groups and HCWs will likely be targets of discrimination. We will see a proliferation of conspiracy theories. Someone or some organization or agency will be blamed, rightly or wrongly. The news media will sensationalize the pandemic, despite admonishments to engage in more balanced reporting. Unfounded rumors and fake news will spread rapidly throughout the Internet. Heath authorities will struggle to contain rumors and to debunk conspiracy theories.”
― Steven Taylor, The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease

“Conspiracy theories may also allow people to feel that they possess rare, important information that other people do not have, making them feel special and thus boosting their self-esteem.”
― Steven Taylor, The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease

“The reluctance or frank refusal to have oneself or one’s dependents vaccinated—euphemistically known as “vaccine hesitancy”—has been identified by the WHO (2019) as one of the top ten global health threats.”
― Steven Taylor, The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease