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Historical narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic are motivationally biased

Author

Listed:
  • Philipp Sprengholz

    (University of Bamberg
    University of Erfurt
    Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine)

  • Luca Henkel

    (University of Chicago
    University of CEMA)

  • Robert Böhm

    (University of Vienna
    University of Copenhagen
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Cornelia Betsch

    (University of Erfurt
    Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine)

Abstract

How people recall the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is likely to prove crucial in future societal debates on pandemic preparedness and appropriate political action. Beyond simple forgetting, previous research suggests that recall may be distorted by strong motivations and anchoring perceptions on the current situation1–6. Here, using 4 studies across 11 countries (total n = 10,776), we show that recall of perceived risk, trust in institutions and protective behaviours depended strongly on current evaluations. Although both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals were affected by this bias, people who identified strongly with their vaccination status—whether vaccinated or unvaccinated—tended to exhibit greater and, notably, opposite distortions of recall. Biased recall was not reduced by providing information about common recall errors or small monetary incentives for accurate recall, but was partially reduced by high incentives. Thus, it seems that motivation and identity influence the direction in which the recall of the past is distorted. Biased recall was further related to the evaluation of past political action and future behavioural intent, including adhering to regulations during a future pandemic or punishing politicians and scientists. Together, the findings indicate that historical narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic are motivationally biased, sustain societal polarization and affect preparation for future pandemics. Consequently, future measures must look beyond immediate public-health implications to the longer-term consequences for societal cohesion and trust.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Sprengholz & Luca Henkel & Robert Böhm & Cornelia Betsch, 2023. "Historical narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic are motivationally biased," Nature, Nature, vol. 623(7987), pages 588-593, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:623:y:2023:i:7987:d:10.1038_s41586-023-06674-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06674-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuxi Heluo & Kexin Wang & Charles W. Robson, 2023. "Do we listen to what we are told? An empirical study on human behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic: neural networks vs. regression analysis," Papers 2311.13046, arXiv.org.
    2. Grunewald, Andreas & Klockmann, Victor & von Schenk, Alicia & von Siemens, Ferdinand, 2024. "Are biases contagious? The influence of communication on motivated beliefs," W.E.P. - Würzburg Economic Papers 109, University of Würzburg, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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