Media effects in the use of pseudoscience: A systematic literature review (1900–2022)

Pseudoscience is not a fringe issue in society; it influences decisions on health or finances. Although there is not robust data on pseudoscience usage, most national studies estimate that it is used by 10% of the population. It is also not a fringe issue in research. This systematic literature review aims to analyse the existing body of research on this topic, with a primary focus on media and communication . The review is restricted to three databases (Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and B-on), and data collection ended in 2022. From the analysis of 12,531 articles, it is shown that interest in pseudoscience exploded this century, mainly in health (75% of the sample), and that health and economic costs are a main issue regarding these practices. In media and communication (172 articles), the interest has been limited. Media effects are unexplored, highlighting a need to better understand how pseudoscience is communicated and used.