The HCT Index: a typology and index of health conspiracy theories with examples of use

Abstract

Background: Conspiracy theories regarding vaccination programmes, medical side effects, and cover-ups by governments or pharmaceutical companies are prevalent in many countries and have highly detrimental and far-reaching effects on people’s wellbeing. For research and policymaking in public health, it is vital to understand the nature, construction and dissemination of these health conspiracy theories (HCTs). Inspired by tale typologies developed in folkloristics, this paper presents a typology and index of international HCTs as a tool for researchers to identify and categorise the HCTs they come across, and to provide a pool of examples of HCTs which could be used in various fields of research. To illustrate this, two studies are also presented (Study 1 and Study 2). Methods: HCTs were collected from relevant academic literature, news journalism, a survey of known health-related, general conspiracy theorist websites, and web searches based around known HCTs. From this, 14 core types were identified, and a numbered index was constructed with brief descriptions, examples, and motifs. Study 1 is a survey of HCT exposure and belief in the UK. Study 2 is a focus group discussion of health rumours in rural Sri Lanka including discussion of HCTs. Results: The HCT Index provides valuable insights into the international dissemination of HCTs. Study 1 found that familiarity with and belief in HCTs were high: 97% of Britons are familiar with at least one HCT and 49% of Britons believed that at least one HCT was likely to be true. Study 2 highlighted concerns over threats to fertility and about how to verify information that falls outside of typical experience. Conclusions: The HCT Index provides a useful framework for future cross-cultural research. As a typology it encompasses a wide range of beliefs which can be more effectively categorized and compared and, ultimately, challenged.

Curious about threats: Morbid curiosity and interest in conspiracy theories in US adults

“…Threat assessments of conspiracy and mainstream explanations of events Conspiratorial and mainstream explanations for, or accusations of conspiracy related to, 23 events were collected from the Belief in Conspiracy Theory Inventory (Swami et al, 2011), Components of Conspiracy ideation questionnaire (Greenburgh et al, 2022), Health Conspiracy Theory Index (Stubbersfield et al, 2021) and supplemented with items and information from Wikipedia. As conspiracy theories can vary in terms of their features, including the nature and level of malevolence described (Douglas & Sutton, 2023), explanations were chosen to represent a wide range of consequences that might be considered more relevant to either themselves or society and that might be more relevant to life/liberty or health/well-being, so as to better examine the role of threat in their appeal.…”

“…Despite being apparently driven by a need for feeling safe and secure, a common feature of successful conspiracy theories is threat, commonly represented by a malign outgroup working in secret to harm the ingroup of the believer (Cichocka et al, 2016; van Prooijen, 2020; van Prooijen & Song, 2021; van Prooijen & van Lange, 2014). The nature of the threat presented in a conspiracy theory can be a direct threat to well‐being or survival, such as in the many long‐lasting health‐related conspiracy theories (Oliver & Wood, 2014; Stubbersfield et al, 2021), it can also be a threat to abstract concepts we hold to be important, such as liberty or democracy (Bangerter et al, 2020; Franks et al, 2013). This can be seen in longstanding and widespread claims that water fluoridation in the USA was a plot to pacify people and make them susceptible to communism (Armfield, 2007), or recent electoral fraud conspiracy theories (Enders et al, 2021).…”

Curious about threats: Morbid curiosity and interest in conspiracy theories

“…While the nature of the threat presented in a conspiracy theory can be a direct threat to wellbeing or survival, such as in the many long-lasting health-related conspiracy theories (Oliver & Wood, 2014;Stubbersfield et al, 2021), it can also be a threat to abstract concepts we hold to be important, such as liberty or democracy (Bangerter et al, 2020;Franks et al, 2013). This can be seen in longstanding and widespread claims that water fluoridation in the USA was a plot to pacify people and make them susceptible to communism (Armfield, 2007), or recent electoral fraud conspiracy theories (Enders et al, 2021).…”

“…Conspiratorial and mainstream explanations for 23 events were collected from the Belief in Conspiracy Theory Inventory (Swami et al, 2011), Components of Conspiracy ideation questionnaire (Greenburgh et al, 2022), Health Conspiracy Theory Index (Stubbersfield et al, 2021) and supplemented with items and information from Wikipedia . Events were chosen to represent a wide range of consequences that might be considered more relevant to either themselves or society and that might be more relevant to life/liberty or health/well-being.…”