London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Vaccine hesitancy has been identified as a significant risk to public health by the World Health Organization (WHO). Although there are many factors underlying vaccine hesitancy, it is almost invariably fuelled by misinformation circulating on the internet. A long history of research shows that misinformation is difficult to refute, especially if people are motivated by their deeply held attitudes to maintain their (false) beliefs, as is often the case surrounding vaccination. 

We are delighted to welcome Professor Lewandowsky who will report on the development and empirical test of a new technique that permits health care professionals to communicate with vaccine hesitant patients. This technique, known as the Empathetic Refutational Interview (ERI), rests on 4 steps: (a) elicit patients’ concerns about vaccination, (b) affirm their values and beliefs to the extent possible, (c) refute the misinformed beliefs in a way that is tailored to a person’s underlying psychological motivations, and (d) provide factual information about vaccines. The ERI is supported by a body of basic experimentation and has been shown to be effective in field tests with health care professionals and the public.

Please join us in person for a reception in the Pumphandle Social following the lecture.  

Speaker

Professor Stephan Lewandowsky

Stephan Lewandowsky is Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Bristol. His research explores three major streams including:

• People’s responses to misinformation and propaganda, and how corrections affect our memory.
• Why people reject well-established scientific facts, such as climate change or the effectiveness of vaccinations.
• The potential conflict between the architecture of our online information ecosystem and democracy.

Event notices

• Please note that you can join this event in person or you can join the session remotely. 
• Please note that the recording link will be listed onthis page when available.