No evidence that omission and confirmation biases affect the perception and recall of vaccine-related information.

ABSTRACT: Despite the spectacular success of vaccines in preventing infectious diseases, fears about their safety and other anti-vaccination claims are widespread. To better understand how such fears and claims persist and spread, we must understand how they are perceived and recalled. One influence on the perception and recall of vaccination-related information might be universal cognitive biases acting against vaccination. An omission bias describes the tendency to perceive as worse, and recall better, bad outcomes resulting from commissions (e.g. vaccine side effects) compared to the same bad outcomes resulting from omissions (e.g. symptoms of vaccine preventable diseases). Another factor influencing the perception and recall of vaccination-related information might be people's attitudes towards

SUBMITTER: Jimenez AV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7055885 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature