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

Abstract 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. HighlightsPrior studies linked exposure to COVID-19 rumors with poor mental health.In a community sample, most participants reported having heard rumors.Few participants shared or believed rumors.Sharing sometimes occurred in the absence of belief.More educated individuals believed and shared fewer rumors.