From skepticism to identity: psychosocial dynamics of the contemporany anti-vaccine movement

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.