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The Development and Validation of the Epistemic Vice Scale
Marco Meyer1, Mark Alfano2, Boudewijn de Bruin3
1Department of Philosophy, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Review of Philosophy and Psychology
|July 5, 2021
Summary
This study introduces the Epistemic Vice Scale, finding that traits like indifference to truth and rigidity predict susceptibility to misinformation and fake news.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Epistemology
Background:
- Epistemic vices are character traits hindering knowledge acquisition and transmission.
- Gullibility and indifference to knowledge are examples of epistemic vices.
- A hypothesis suggests epistemically vicious individuals are more prone to misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a ten-item scale measuring epistemic vice.
- To investigate the relationship between epistemic vice and susceptibility to misinformation and fake news.
- To identify underlying psychological traits of epistemic vices.
Main Methods:
- Conducted two observational survey studies (N=1737) using Amazon Mechanical Turk.
- Developed the Epistemic Vice Scale with subscales for indifference and rigidity.
- Assessed the scale's internal consistency, validity, and association with misinformation endorsement.
Main Results:
- Two core traits, indifference to truth and rigidity, were identified as underlying epistemic vices.
- The Epistemic Vice Scale demonstrated strong internal consistency and validity.
- Epistemic vice was strongly associated with endorsing misinformation and conspiracy theories, explaining significant variance.
Conclusions:
- Epistemic vice, characterized by indifference and rigidity, is a valid construct linked to misinformation susceptibility.
- The Epistemic Vice Scale effectively measures individual differences in dealing with misinformation.
- Epistemic vice may contribute to "postfactive" thinking patterns.
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