My research
aims to analyse the impact of messages of science denialism on individuals’ health decision-making and to design interventions to reduce their persuasive influence.
Science denialism is an approach that has the ultimate goal of rejecting a proposition on which a scientific consensus exists. In the age of mass media, science denialism has multiplied its reach and availability, threatening the acceptance and lifesaving use of health-treatments and prevention behavior – e.g. HIV-treatments or vaccines. Deniers use different techniques, such as conspiracy theories or false logic, to promote their messages of science denial.
To understand the impact of messages of science denialism on individuals’ health decisions, I apply an empirical judgement and decision-making perspective. In addition, I use literature from the fields of debunking, inoculation and rebuttal to design and test promising interventions. My aim is to generate basic research findings applicable to recommendations and guidelines for health authorities.
Keywords: health decision-making, persuasion, mis-disinformation, science denialism, debunking, inoculation, rebuttal
Translating research into guidance
Current position
Assistant Professor of Health Communication, Radboud University, Nijmegen
Editor roles
Communications Psychology – Editorial Board Member: https://www.nature.com/commspsychol/editorial-board
European Journal of Health Communication – Special Issue Mis- Disinformation: https://ejhc.org/issue/view/297
Ad hoc reviewer
Nature Human Behaviour, Nature Communications, Health Psychology, Communications Biology, Bundesgesundheitsblatt, PLoS ONE, Medical Decision Making (MDM), Vaccine, Social Science & Medicine, Environmental Psychology, American Journal of Public Health, Journal of Cognitive Psychology, Scientific Reports, European Psychologist, Collabra: Psychology, Nature Medicine
Contact
You can contact me via social media, email or telephone. My social media links are provided above (next to the profile picture). Links to my Researchgate and Orcid profiles are provided below.
Email: Please click here to Email me directly
Researchgate: My ResearchGate Profile
Orcid ID: My Orcid Profile