Anti-vaccination attitudes are associated with less analytical and more intuitive reasoning.

ABSTRACT

Online anti-vaccination rhetoric has produced far reaching negative health consequences. Persons who endorse anti-vaccination attitudes may employ less analytical reasoning when problem solving. Considering limitations in previous research, we used an online web-based survey (n = 760; mean age = 47.69; 388 males, 372 females) to address this question. Analytical reasoning was negatively correlated with anti-vaccination attitudes (r = -.18, p < .0001). This relationship remained significant after statistically controlling for potential confounders, including age, sex, education, and religiosity (r = -.16, p < .0001). We hope that elucidating the cognitive, non-information-based aspects of anti-vaccination attitudes will help to guide effective educational interventions aimed at improving public health in the future.