Vulnerability to rumours during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore

INTRODUCTION@#Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many rumours have emerged. Given prior research linking rumour exposure to mental well-being, we conducted a nationwide survey to document the base rate of rumour exposure and factors associated with rumour vulnerability.@*METHODS@#Between March and July 2020, 1,237 participants were surveyed on 5 widely disseminated COVID-19 rumours (drinking water frequently could be preventive, eating garlic could be preventive, the outbreak arose because of bat soup consumption, the virus was created in an American lab, and the virus was created in a Chinese lab). For each rumour, participants reported whether they had heard, shared or believed each rumour.@*RESULTS@#Although most participants had been exposed to COVID-19 rumours, few shared or believed these. Sharing behaviours sometimes occurred in the absence of belief; however, education emerged as a protective factor for both sharing and belief.@*CONCLUSION@#Our results suggest that campaigns targeting skills associated with higher education (e.g. epistemology) may prove more effective than counter-rumour messages.

Vulnerability to rumors during the COVID-19 pandemic:Results of a national survey

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many rumors have emerged. Given prior research linking rumor exposure to mental well-being, we conducted a nation-wide survey to document the base rate of rumor exposure and factors associated with rumor vulnerability. Between March to July 2020, 1237 participants were surveyed on 5 widely-disseminated COVID-19 rumors (that drinking water frequently could be preventive, that eating garlic could be preventive, that the outbreak arose because of bat soup consumption, that the virus was created in an American lab, and that the virus was created in a Chinese lab). For each rumor, participants reported whether they had heard, shared or believed each rumor. Although most participants had been exposed to COVID-19 rumors, few shared or believed these. Sharing behaviors sometimes occurred in the absence of belief; however, education emerged as a protective factor for both sharing and belief. Together, our results suggest that campaigns targeting skills associated with higher education (e.g. epistemology) may prove more effective than counter-rumor messages. HighlightsO_LIPrior studies linked exposure to COVID-19 rumors with poor mental health. C_LIO_LIIn a community sample, most participants reported having heard rumors. C_LIO_LIFew participants shared or believed rumors. C_LIO_LISharing sometimes occurred in the absence of belief. C_LIO_LIMore educated individuals believed and shared fewer rumors. C_LI