Stakes of Knowing the Truth: A Motivational Perspective on the Popularity of a Controversial Scientific Theory

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide a different perspective on people's beliefs regarding controversial scientific information. We emphasize that, although people generally aim at getting a fair representation of reality, accuracy about scientific issues only matters to the extent that individuals perceive it as useful to achieve their own goals. This has important consequences in terms of how anti-science attitudes as well as epistemically questionable beliefs must be interpreted, which has consequences for addressing misinformation. We argue that most people who endorse scientific misinformation are not truly interested in its accuracy, and rather that plausibility at face value often suffices when it is meant to be used for social purposes only. We illustrate this view with the example of hydroxychloroquine, which was considered as potential treatment for Covid-19, and which has been the subject of much media hype and public concern, particularly in France.

Fake news: Why do we believe it?

“…In the survey by Brennen et al [13] , top-down misinformation about COVID-19 was identified from politicians, celebrities, and other prominent public personalities, accounting for 20% of the claims and 69% of total social media engagement. In France, a virologist living in Marseille, France was a great disseminator of false information on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) [39] .…”

Why Trust Raoult? How Social Indicators Inform the Reputations of Experts

“…This disposition, first coined by John Flavell (1979), is all the more important in the evaluation of scientific information as such information is often not intuitive, and can have high social stakes. The tendency to take a metacognitive stance on our own trusting attitudes is encouraged by the importance of having an accurate representation of reality on a given issue (Morisseau, Branch and Origgi 2021).…”

From hydroxychloroquine to ivermectin: how unproven “cures” can go viral

“…Over subsequent months, several randomized clinical trials reported that hydroxychloroquine, alone or in combination with azithromycin, was ineffective at preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, providing more rapid resolution of clinical symptoms or reducing hospital admissions and mortality in COVID-19 patients, and was associated with no improved mortality compared to placebo ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ). Nevertheless, despite these consistent data, and the publication of the living World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommending against the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 ( 6 ), the “effectiveness” of this drug is still asserted by some, who are using social networks and the media to spread their beliefs ( 7 , 8 ). This (mis)information created doubt, angry debate, and even threats to hydroxychloroquine detractors.…”