Inoculating the Public Against Misinformation about Mindfulness
Maris Vainre, Lisa Doan, Cecilie S. Traberg, Noah Bertnall, Alicia Smith, A. Kirkpatrick, Bonnie C. Wintle, Julieta Galante, Caitlin Hitchcock
June 2, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/zdgwj_v1 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMisinformation about mindfulness is becoming more common, leading people to ineffective or harmful programs. Inoculation theory suggests that resistance to misinformation can be built by inducing a sense of threat and offering pre-emptive refutations of deceptive techniques. Two experiments evaluated video-based inoculation interventions targeting inflated benefit claims and emotional manipulation in mindfulness marketing. In Study 1 (554 participants), those who viewed an inoculation video rated a misleading mindfulness program advertisement as significantly less reliable than controls. In Study 2 (590 participants), inoculated participants were less likely to say they would participate in a program advertised with misinformation. Inoculation appears promising for building resistance to mindfulness misinformation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,144 |
| Population | Adult participants |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Misinformation Psychology Internet privacy Computer science |
| Key finding | Inoculation interventions reduced perceived reliability of and willingness to participate in a mindfulness program advertised with misinformation. |
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.