Unveiling the Intricacies of Health Rumor Belief in Public Health Emergencies: A Cognitive Perspective

Abstract Effective health communication plays a critical role in major public health emergencies by promoting accurate health information and mitigating the negative impacts of online health rumors. These rumors can induce fear, anxiety, and irrational behavior among the public, potentially undermining individual health and social stability. Although health rumors are prevalent, there remains a lack of systematic review regarding why these unverified allegations are widely accepted. Therefore, this article reports such an assessment by means of a conceptual framework based on the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) theory and the dual process theory. The S-O-R theory elucidates how environmental stimuli induce cognitive and emotional underpinnings, ultimately influencing behaviors, providing useful insights into the interactions between stimuli, individual characteristics, and behavioral responses in the domain of health rumors. By contrast, the dual process theory, which underlies both classical reasoning and motivated reasoning, offers a perspective on the public's trust in health rumors, especially how people decide to believe and propagate health rumors. Based on current knowledge, some feasible strategies to combat health rumors and future directions are proposed.