#1: Nature vs. Science

Adding an extra dose of behavioral science to your week with our series In a Nutshell— a collection of behavioral science principles, explained in 150 words or less, written weekly by CUBIC director Allison Zelkowitz.

Which would you prefer, natural spring water or distilled water?

The first just sounds better, doesn’t it?  But why?

The Appeal to Nature Fallacy is a faulty reasoning process via which we conclude that “natural” equates with “good.” As explained in Natural Is Better: How the Appeal to Nature Fallacy Derails Public Health, this bias may be a new societal reaction to our polluted, industrialized world. People have begun to see “natural” as a synonym for “safe.”

The Appeal to Nature Fallacy often underpins vaccine hesitancy, with some people avowing to develop “natural immunities” as they worry an “unnatural” vaccine is dangerous. It may be possible to debate this argument – for example, “Over three million people were not able to develop natural immunities to COVID-19, and died.” Or as suggested in the aforementioned article, capitalize on this logic, with messaging such as “Stimulate your natural immune response with the vaccine.”

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