(CNN) - With so much information available about the severity of the coronavirus and the need to follow guidelines, some people still refuse to accept reality.
Denial manifests itself in many ways, whether it's refusing to wear a mask or attending large gatherings.
Using denial as a coping mechanism is not always a bad choice. In the short term, it gives someone time to adjust to a situation. When it becomes a long-term crutch and puts others in danger, it can be dangerous.
There is also a term in psychology called rationalism, which people often mistake for denial. It is a defense mechanism in which the person tries to justify unacceptable behavior.
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With over 30 years of experience in their profession, psychologists Eve and Mark Whitmore have spent the last few years studying misinformation and confirmation bias. Eve Whitmore currently works as a clinical psychologist in Stow, Ohio, and Mark Whitmore is an associate professor at Kent State University College of Business Administration in Kent, Ohio.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
CNN: What is denial and why do we deny things that are obviously true?
Eve Whitmore: Denial is a construct used in psychology to describe how people handle the constructs of reality. It is not considered one of the most preferred mechanisms; We call them defense mechanisms.
Mark Whitmore: Denial is a way for people to defend themselves against anxiety. When they are in periods when there is a lot of anxiety and it is perceived as a threat, people develop strategies to protect themselves, their sense of security and protection. And one of them is simply denying that the source of the threat exists. In this case, you would simply say, “Well, the epidemic is a hoax. It doesn't really exist.
Denial is sometimes confused with rationalization, which is when people try to explain or lessen the threat of the source of that anxiety. When people say, "Covid-19 is just another flu," they are admitting that it exists, but they minimize it and say that it is not as serious as everyone claims.
CNN: Why do some people deny or rationalize?
MW: Whether you react to stressful and anxious situations or react more positively to discovering how to deal with them, it has to do with your sense of control over those situations. When the pandemic was first announced, there was very little information and we did not know what kind of precautions we should take.
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Since then, the pandemic has progressed. We have learned more about ways to protect ourselves and have some sense of control over the types of behaviors we engage in.
But in March and April we didn't have as much information and some of the information was contradictory, and that contributed to people feeling out of control. Some people felt a lot of anxiety and stress, and in that moment, we have to figure out how to deal with that in order to function. For some, that is creating a myth about the pandemic or simply seeking information that reinforces their view that it is actually not as serious as people say.
CNN: How can denying or using rationalization be dangerous?
MW: Both denial and rationalization are considered maladaptive, which means that they do not help the individual adapt to the source of the threat. In fact, it can expose them to an even greater probability than that threat is supposed to be.
In the case of the pandemic, you could get sick because if you are in denial, you are rationalizing the severity of the situation. Then you probably won't take the necessary precautions to protect yourself.
EW: We've seen people say, "I want to get the virus and get rid of it at once." There are also people who travel through the United States to different states, although it is not recommended, because they do not believe that covid-19 is that bad. They can be asymptomatic and return it to its own state.
We also hear people say that they thought they were already exposed to the virus because someone in their family was sick with some undiagnosed illness and now they think it was covid-19, and therefore they think they are fine because they should be immune.
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CNN: Where do people learn these behaviors?
EW: These constructs develop in children and are often reinforced by parents or guardians. At about the age of 6 or 7, a child can understand what is fact and what is fiction, but in our culture, fiction is reinforced, often with parents and children. You know there is a Santa Claus and an Easter Bunny. Some of that is developmental and helps children with fantasy, and fantasy can be a good thing. But sometimes, we see that it can get extreme.
MW: The key is not so much Santa Claus. It is that, as parents, we teach children to face decisions, not with facts, but with beliefs or faith. As parents, we did the whole Santa Claus thing, but we also taught our kids how to make decisions based on factual information.
When adults have been raised in an environment where unfounded beliefs were part of their upbringing, they are much more likely to believe conspiracy theories and hoaxes. They also tend to make decisions based on hunches and preconceptions and prejudices rather than using factual information.
CNN: If you have a friend or family member who doesn't follow proper safety guidelines because they deny or rationalize it, how can you help them?
MW: This also comes down to confirmatory bias, where you create a bubble by surrounding yourself with people who believe what you believe and looking for information to support your belief.
That would help a person to receive conflicting information, things that contradict their views. A person must be forced to face it and do something about it. This is best done in phases. It begins by presenting the individual with factual and contradictory information that is not so threatening along with what you can do to protect yourself.
Once they begin to accept it, the intensity of the realistic information is increased in stages until they accept it more fully and achieve a greater sense of control.
EW: You can also lead by example. They can see that you are wearing a mask by washing your hands and maintaining social distance. They can also see you by following the mandatory rules in your state.
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