Why Do People Believe Health Misinformation and Who Is at Risk? A Systematic Review of Individual Differences in Susceptibility to Health Misinformation

Health misinformation poses a significant threat to public health. Understanding why people believe health misinformation and who are at risk is crucial for developing effective interventions to reduce the harmful impact of misinformation. We conducted a systematic review of published empirical research that examined individual differences in susceptibility to health misinformation by focusing on the psychological, demographic, and behavioral correlates of health misinformation susceptibility. To guide our review on psychological correlates, we developed an integrative psychological model of susceptibility to health misinformation based on one’s ability and motivation to reason. Our review suggests that susceptibility to health misinformation is driven by multiple psychological processes. Overall, subject knowledge, literacy and numeracy, analytical thinking (vs. intuitive thinking), and trust in science confers strong resistance to health misinformation, whereas conspiracy thinking, religiosity, conservative ideology, and conservative party identification are generally associated with more susceptibility to health misinformation. In terms of demographic correlates, our review indicates that older age and higher educational attainment tend to predict less susceptibility to health misinformation, whereas racial minority status is associated with more susceptibility to health misinformation. Behaviorally, relying on health professionals or scientists as information sources predicts less susceptibility to health misinformation, whereas social media use is associated with more susceptibility to health misinformation. We conclude by discussing the theoretical implications of our findings, as well as practical implications for designing effective interventions to combat health misinformation.