Metaphors Psychological Theories Live By: The Case of Inoculation Theory in Misinformation Research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26439/persona2026.n1.8917Keywords:
conceptual metaphors, speech acts, prebunking, perlocutionary acts, disinformationAbstract
This article examines the conceptual metaphors misinformation is a virus and interventions are vaccines that underpin inoculation theory in misinformation research. While these metaphors have guided the development of prebunking interventions, it is important to be aware of the limitations of metaphors in science if the aim is to identify what this framing might overlook, and what follows from it in practice. Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) and Speech Act Theory (Austin, 1962), this article addresses two limitations. First, framing misinformation as “infectious” risks pathologising features of communication, beliefs, and reasonable concerns. This framing may generate defensiveness, polarisation, and reduced trust in academic researchers, particularly in contexts where distrust may be warranted. Second, the viral metaphor could depict audiences as passive and equally vulnerable to “contagion,” potentially discouraging researchers from actively engaging with communities during intervention design. This article concludes that the inoculation framework should be supplemented with qualitative approaches, collaborative efforts with the populations targeted by interventions, and awareness of the unintended consequences of framing misinformation as a virus. These considerations have important implications for intervention design, uptake, and scalability in misinformation research.
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