Del escepticismo a la identidad: Claves psicosociales del movimiento antivacunas contemporáneo

Francisco Javier Millar; David Naranjo Douglas; Ninoshka Fasce-Cayo; Juan Carlos Oyanedel; Francesca Ferrada-Toledo

doi:10.32351/rca.v10.407

Authors

Francisco Javier Millar Universidad SEK, Chile https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3602-4089
David Naranjo Douglas Universidad SEK, Chile. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3289-581X
Ninoshka Fasce-Cayo Universidad Gabriela Mistral, Chile. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4551-4756
Juan Carlos Oyanedel Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB), Chile. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4023-6926
Francesca Ferrada-Toledo Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez, Chile. https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7145-0786

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32351/rca.v10.407

Política de Crossmark DOI: https://doi.org/10.32351/politica-crossmark

Keywords:

Anti-vaccine movement, misinformation, attribution theory, information bias, conspiracism

Abstract

This theoretical, multidisciplinary analysis examines the psychosocial foundations of the contemporary anti-vaccine movement, highlighting its shift from a marginal stance of skepticism to a symbolically and economically structured phenomenon rooted in systematic misinformation. Drawing on Weiner’s attribution theory, research on conspiratorial thinking, covert narcissism, and cognitive styles, the article identifies patterns that predispose certain individuals to reject scientific consensus and embrace alternative narratives. Beyond a mere absence of verifiable information, this phenomenon is sustained by identity needs, emotional interpretive frameworks, and deep institutional mistrust that offer adherents a form of symbolic belonging.
The article also presents a comparative reading of other countercultural belief communities —such as climate-change denialists and advocates of unvalidated therapies—and examines the relationship between emotional maturity, life-cycle stages, and narrative vulnerability. Additionally, it analyzes the amplifying role of social media, which has fueled the emergence of anti-vaccine influencers and consolidated a market where the emotional perception of threat and a sense of authenticity become symbolic and even economic capital. The article concludes that the challenge is not merely sanitary, but epistemological and cultural, underscoring the fragility of critical thinking in the face of information overload and the anesthetizing role of certain communication dynamics that facilitate the consolidation of conspiratorial frameworks and systematic misinformation.

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Author Biographies

Francisco Javier Millar, Universidad SEK, Chile

Independent researcher and Psychology student at Universidad SEK (Chile). B.A. in Social Communication and Public Relations. His background combines strategic consultancy in the public and private sectors with social psychology research, specializing in collective behavior analysis, identity, and crisis management in complex environments.
David Naranjo Douglas, Universidad SEK, Chile.

PhD in Education and Society, Occupational Psychologist, and Master in People Management and Organizational Development. With more than eighteen years of experience as a university academic and fourteen years leading People Development teams, his work integrates applied research, teaching, and strategic human talent management, linking scientific evidence with effective organizational practices. Member of the Chilean Society of Work and Organizational Psychology (SCHIPTO) and the Chilean Scientific Society for Well-Being Studies (SCICHEB).
Ninoshka Fasce-Cayo, Universidad Gabriela Mistral, Chile.

PhD in Psychology, Clinical and Organizational Psychologist. She has over fifteen years of experience as a university professor and twenty-five years as a consultant in organizational development. Her career integrates applied research, teaching, and strategic human talent management, linking scientific evidence with effective organizational practices. She is a member of the Sociedad Chilena de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones (SCHIPTO), the National Career Development Association (NCDA), and Vice President of the Sociedad Científica Chilena de Estudios en Bienestar (SCICHEB)
Juan Carlos Oyanedel, Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB), Chile.

Sociologist and Business Administrator. He holds a Master’s in Education and Social Sciences, a Master’s in Applied Statistics, and a Doctorate in Law. He is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at Universidad Andrés Bello, and Principal Investigator of the Trajectories and Longitudinal Studies line at the Center for Research for Inclusive Education (PIA–ANID 160009). He has been a visiting researcher at Nuffield College, University of Oxford; Birkbeck College, University of London; University of Girona; University of the Basque Country; University of Buenos Aires; the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law; and the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati, Basque Country. He is the author or editor of eight books and more than fifty indexed publications and book chapters. His books include La felicidad de los chilenos I y II. His most recent book is Assessing Judicial Reforms in Developing Countries: Law and Criminal Reform in Chile, published by Springer.
Francesca Ferrada-Toledo, Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez, Chile.

Psychologist with research experience and involvement in various projects. Her interests are linked to childhood, adolescence, and mental health. Her work focuses on the analysis of clinical and social issues, contributing to research tasks, theoretical review, methodological design, and support in data collection and analysis. Her areas of specialization include child well-being, socioemotional development, and the application of scientific evidence in interventions and programs.

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