William j. mcguire biography inoculation theory

How people's attitudes can resist change through weak counterargument exposures

Inoculation theory is a social psychological/communication theory that explains how an attitude or belief can be made resistant to persuasion or influence, in analogy to how a body gains resistance to disease.^[1][2] The theory uses medical inoculation as its explanatory analogy but instead of applying it to disease, it is used to discuss attitudes and other positions, like opinions, values, and beliefs.

It has applicability to public campaigns targeting misinformation and fake news, but it is not limited to misinformation and fake news.

The theory was developed by social psychologist William J. McGuire in 1961 to explain how attitudes and beliefs change, and more specifically, how to keep existing attitudes and beliefs consistent in the face of attempts to change them.^[3] Inoculation theory functions to confer resistance of counter-attitudinal infl Inoculation Theory – Immersive Truth - University of Arizona DEHOD