Inoculating the Public Against Misinformation about Mindfulness

Summary

Misinformation about mindfulness is common and can lead people to ineffective or harmful programs. Inoculation theory, which builds resistance by pre-emptively refuting deceptive techniques, was tested in two studies. In Study 1 (554 participants), viewing a video exposing inflated benefit claims and emotional manipulation made people rate a misleading mindfulness advertisement as less reliable. In Study 2 (590 participants), inoculated participants were less likely to say they would join a program advertised with misinformation. Inoculation shows promise for countering mindfulness misinformation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Misinformation about mindfulness is increasingly common, misleading consumers to engage in ineffective or potentially harmful programs. Inoculation theory suggests that resistance to misinformation can be fostered by inducing a sense of threat and offering pre-emptive refutations of deceptive techniques. Yet, its application to mindfulness misinformation remains unexplored. Here, we evaluate three video-based inoculation interventions targeting two common manipulation techniques in mindfulness marketing: inflated benefit claims and emotional manipulation. In Study 1 (N = 554), participants who viewed a video containing both manipulation techniques rated a misleading mindfulness program advertisement as significantly less reliable than participants who watched a control video. In Study 2 (N = 590), inoculated participants were less likely than controls to say they would participate in a mindfulness program advertised with misinformation. These findings support inoculation as a promising tool to build resistance to mindfulness misinformation and encourage research into its role in improving consumer health-related decision-making.

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