Jee, B. D., Uttal, D.H., Spiegel, A. & Diamond, J. (2009) Students and Teacher' Mental Models of Viruses.
Society for Research in Child Development, San Antonio, TX. October 16, 2009.

Abstract: Although most children in the US are vaccinated against  potentially deadly diseases, such as polio, measles, and tetanus, many  adults dismiss the usefulness of vaccines, or simply don't bother to  get vaccinated. What are the beliefs that influence these important  decisions? What do people believe about how viruses work? To  investigate this issue, we surveyed 8th and 10th grade students, and  conducted in-depth interviews with a smaller group of students and  teachers. The questions included, (a) what is a virus?, (b) how do  viruses infect living things?, (c) how does the body respond to  infection?, and (d) how can viruses be prevented and treated? The  survey and interview data was used to identify several distinct mental  models of how viruses work. We will report findings on how students'  and teachers' mental models are similar and different, how they  compare to an expert model, and what sorts of misconceptions are held.