The refusal manifests itself in various ways, whether that is refusing to wear a mask or attending large gatherings.
Using denial as a coping mechanism is not always a bad choice. In short, it gives someone the time to adapt to a situation. If it becomes a long crutch and puts others in the way of harm, it can be dangerous.
There is also a psychological term called rationalism, which people often dismiss with denial. It is a defense mechanism where people try to justify unacceptable behavior.
With more than 30 years of experience in their profession, psychologists Eve and Mark Whitmore have studied in recent years for misinformation and confirmation bias. Eve Whitmore currently works as a clinical psychologist in Stow, Ohio, and Mark Whitmore works as an associate professor in the College of Business Administration at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
CNN: What is denial and why do we deny things that are of course true?
Eve Whitmore: Denial is a construct used in psychology to describe how people deal with reality constructions. It is not considered as one of the more common mechanisms – we call them defense mechanisms.
Denial is sometimes confused with rationalization, that is, when people try to explain away or reduce the threat from the source of fear. When people say “Covid-19 is just another flu”, they admit that it exists, but they minimize it and say that it is not as serious as everyone says.
CNN: Why do some people deny or rationalize?
MW: Whether you respond to situations with stress and anxiety or you respond more positively by figuring out how to deal with them 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 precautionary measures we should take.
Since then, the pandemic has progressed. We have gained more information about ways to protect ourselves and have some sense of control through the types of behaviors we engage in.
But back in March and April we did not have that 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 at that point we had to figure out how to deal with it so we could function. For some, that’s creating a myth about the pandemic or just looking for information that will reinforce their position that it’s not really as serious as people say.
CNN: How can it be dangerous in denial or the use of rationalization?
MW: Both denial and rationalization are considered misguided, which means that they do not help the individual to adapt to the source of the threat. It can actually expose them to an even greater chance of what that threatening thing is.
In the event of a pandemic, you could get sick, because if you are in denial, you are rationalizing the seriousness of the situation. Then you probably will not take the proper precautions to protect yourself.
EW: We’ve seen people say, “I want to get the virus and just take it over.” There are also people who travel across the United States to various states, although it is not advisable because they do not believe that Covid-19 is that bad. They may be asymptomatic and bring it back to their own state.
We also heard people say that they thought they were already exposed to the virus because someone in their family was sick with some undiagnosed disease and now they think it was Covid-19, and therefore they think they are fine, because they must be immune.
CNN: Where do people learn these behaviors?
EW: These constructs develop in children and are typically reinforced by parents or caregivers. By the age of 6 or 7, a child is able to make sense of what fact and what fiction is, but in our culture, fiction is reinforced, often by parents and children. You know there’s a Santa Claus and an Easter Bunny. Some of that is part of development and it helps kids with fantasy, and fantasy can be a good thing. But sometimes we see that it can get extreme.
MW: The key thing is not so much Santa Claus. It is that we as parents teach children to make decisions, not with facts, but with faith or belief. As parents, we did the whole Santa Claus thing, but we also taught our kids how to make decisions based on factual information.
CNN: If you have a friend or family member who does not follow the proper safety guidelines because they deny or rationalize, how can you help them?
MW: This also comes down to affirming bias, where you create a bubble by surrounding yourself with people who believe what you believe, and you search for information that supports the way you believe.
That would help a person to receive conflicting information, things that contradict their views. A person must be forced to tackle it and do something about it. This is best done in phases. Begin by presenting the individual with conflicting, factual information that is not as threatening along with what they can do to protect themselves.
Once they begin to accept, you escalate the intensity of the realistic information 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 you wearing a mask that washes your hands and keeps social distance. They can also see you follow the mandate rules of your state.
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