Framing the Origins of COVID-19. Issue 5 (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bolsen, Toby; Palm, Risa; Kingsland, Justin T.
• Other Names: Myrick Jessica G. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Science communication. Volume 42:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: 562
• Page End: 585
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: framing -- COVID-19 -- conspiracies -- public opinion; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Knowledge, Sociology of -- Periodicals; Communication in science -- Periodicals; Communication of technical information -- Periodicals; Communication in medicine -- Periodicals; Information scientifique -- Périodiques; Information technique -- Périodiques; Communication en sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Communication en médecine -- Périodiques; 300.14
• DOI: 10.1177/1075547020953603
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1075-5470

Abstract

Conspiracy theories have flourished about the origins of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes an acute respiratory syndrome (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) in humans. This article reports the results from a study that evaluates the impact of exposure to framed messages about the origins of COVID-19. We tested four hypotheses: two focusing on its origins as either zoonotic or human-engineered and two concerning the impacts of origin beliefs on the desire to penalize China or support increased funding for biomedical research. The results accentuate the importance of finding ways to combat the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories related to this global pandemic.