Table 1.
Standardized factor loadings of individual response measurement models and COVID-19 misinformation in Portuguese-speaking countries. 2021. (N = 6843).
| Latent Variables |
Indicator Variables (Codes) | λ | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIR | |||
| Avoiding bars, restaurants, and events (R1) | 0.654 | <0.001 | |
| Using disinfectants for cleaning the environment (R2) | 0.511 | <0.001 | |
| Hand hygiene with soap and water, and alcoholic solution (R3) | 0.777 | <0.001 | |
| Postponing national or international travels (R4) | 0.654 | <0.001 | |
| Working remotely (R5) | 0.609 | <0.001 | |
| Supplying goods (R6) | 0.614 | <0.001 | |
| Social isolation to prevent crowding (R7) | 0.645 | <0.001 | |
| Using a face shield (R8) | 0.609 | <0.001 | |
| CB | |||
| The virus was created in the laboratory by Chinese scientists (C1) | 0.770 | <0.001 | |
| There was genetic manipulation of the virus to cause AIDS (C2) | 0.602 | <0.001 | |
| Social isolation can reduce immunity and facilitate virus infection (C3) | 0.458 | <0.001 | |
| Positive asymptomatic people do not transmit the virus to other people (C4) | 0.871 | <0.001 | |
| The virus was spread by the pharmaceutical industry for population control (C5) | 0.722 | <0.001 | |
| GB | |||
| Avocado, hibiscus, perfume aerosols, and whiskey tea have a preventive potential (G1) | 0.851 | <0.001 | |
| Alcoholic solution is more efficient than washing hands with soap and water as a preventive measure (G2) | 0.496 | <0.001 | |
| Daily use of alcohol gel can be toxic and extremely harmful to health (G3) | 0.661 | <0.001 | |
| The virus can be eliminated from the body by drinking water and gargling with warm water, saline, or acidic solutions, thus preventing the infection (G4) | 0.719 | <0.001 | |
| Vinegar is better than alcohol to avoid contamination by COVID-19 (G5) | 0.637 | <0.001 | |
| Autohemotherapy is very effective against the new coronavirus (G6) | 0.896 | <0.001 | |
| Eating garlic prevents contagion by the new coronavirus (G7) | 0.881 | <0.001 | |
| The virus does not survive temperatures above 26 degrees (G8) | 0.856 | <0.001 | |
| Drinking clean water every 15 min expels the new coronavirus, as it prevents it from going to the lungs (G9) | 0.855 | <0.001 | |
| r | CB1↔GB | ||
| 0.949 | <0.001 | ||
| CB a | |||
| GB a | 0.559 | <0.001 | |
| 0.796 | <0.001 | ||
| r b | C11↔C2 | ||
| C11↔C5 | 0.477 | <0.001 | |
| C31↔C4 | 0.385 | <0.001 | |
| G41↔G9 | 0.210 | <0.001 | |
| G71↔G9 | 0.316 | <0.001 | |
| CB1↔GB | 0.217 | <0.001 |
λ: Standardized factorial loads; CIR: COVID-19 individual responses; CB: Conspiracy beliefs; GB: General beliefs; MIS: COVID-19 Misinformation. a 1st order factor. b Residual correlations (↔) between indicators.