A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Testing Psychological Inoculation to Reduce Reactance to Vaccine-Related Communication
Authors: Karlsson Linda C., Mäki Karl O., Holford Dawn, Fasce Angelo, Schmid Philipp, Lewandowsky Stephan, Soveri Anna
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Health Communication
Journal name in source: HEALTH COMMUNICATION
Journal acronym: HEALTH COMMUN
Volume: 39
Issue: 13
First page : 3450
Last page: 3458
Number of pages: 9
ISSN: 1041-0236
eISSN: 1532-7027
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2325185
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2325185
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387272595
Research has found that vaccine-promoting messages can elicit state reactance (i.e., negative emotions in response to a perceived threat to behavioral freedom), especially among individuals with high trait reactance (i.e., proneness to experiencing reactance). This can result in a lower willingness to accept vaccines. We investigated whether inoculation against reactance - that is, forewarning individuals about potentially experiencing reactance - can reduce the effects of trait reactance on vaccination willingness. Participants (N = 710) recruited through Facebook were randomly allocated to be either inoculated or not. They were then shown a message promoting a fictitious vaccine, which included either a low, medium, or high threat to freedom. Contrary to research on other health topics, inoculation was ineffective at reducing state reactance toward the vaccination message. Inoculation also did not mitigate the effects of trait reactance on vaccination willingness, and was even counterproductive in some cases. High-reactant individuals were less willing to get vaccinated than low-reactant ones, especially at high freedom threat. Conversely, high freedom threat resulted in increased vaccination willingness among low-reactant individuals. Further research is needed to understand why inoculation against reactance produces different results with vaccination, and to develop communication strategies that mitigate reactance to vaccination campaigns without compromising the positive effects of vaccine recommendations for low-reactant individuals.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |  |
Funding information in the publication:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement [No 964728] (JITSUVAX); AS was funded by the Academy of Finland [grant number: 316004].
