Vaccine Conspiracy Belief and Vaccine Hesitancy: The Mediating Role of Trust in Institutions and Moderating Role of Issue Involvement

Abstract

Belief in vaccination-related conspiracy theories poses a significant threat to public health. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship are not yet fully understood. This study addresses these gaps by examining how vaccination conspiracy beliefs erode trust in institutions, a critical factor in vaccine acceptance and the role of issue involvement. Specifically, vaccine conspiracy beliefs were found to reduce trust in institutions involved in vaccine development, which in turn increased vaccine hesitancy. Additionally, this study found that vaccination issue involvement moderated this relationship. Among individuals who were highly involved in vaccination issue, the influence of vaccine conspiracy beliefs on vaccine hesitancy was weaker. These findings offer theoretical insights into the psychological processes driving vaccine hesitancy and provide practical implications for strategies aimed at mitigating vaccine-related conspiracy theories.