Cancer Misinformation: How It Spreads and the Psychology Behind It

Cancer misinformation has serious consequences, such as leading people to delay or even avoid life-saving treatments, and eroding trust in medical professionals. Social media personalities spreading false information about sun protection and cancer treatment can be particularly worrying. When faced with a cancer diagnosis, fear, confusion, and a desire for control can drive people to seek remedies that offer hope, even if that hope comes from sources that don't use credible evidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Social media platforms can amplify false cancer messages, making them appear more credible or popular than they actually are.
• Message framing plays a significant role in the spread of cancer misinformation, with loss-framed messages being more persuasive.
• Cancer misinformation often taps into people's fears, triggering fear and resistance to treatment.
• The psychological principle of negativity bias explains why cancer misinformation that triggers fear or anxiety often sticks more than hopeful, fact-based messages.
• Prebunking, which involves teaching people how to spot and resist false or misleading messages before they take hold, can help people with cancer stay protected against misinformation.
• Research suggests that when people understand the strategies behind misinformation, they are less likely to accept false claims at face value.
• Misinformation often uses tactics such as fear-mongering and promises of miraculous cures to deceive or scare others.
• People with cancer can become more vigilant and sceptical when they encounter suspicious information online, on social media, or through word of mouth by being aware of these common techniques.

Statistics:

• According to a study, people respond more to messages focused on what they might lose rather than what they could gain, due to loss aversion.
• Cancer misinformation that emphasises scary losses can be especially persuasive because it taps directly into people's fears.
• Research suggests that when people understand the strategies behind misinformation, they are less likely to accept false claims at face value.

Sources:

• The Conversation -- UK -- By Andy Levy, Reader in Psychology, Edge Hill University