A little shot of humility: Intellectual humility predicts vaccination attitudes and intention to vaccinate against COVID‐19

Abstract

Vaccinations remain a critical, albeit surprisingly controversial, health behavior, especially with the promise of widely available COVID‐19 vaccine. Intellectual humility, a virtue characterized by nonjudgmental recognition of one's own intellectual fallibility, may counter rigidity associated with anti‐vaccination attitudes and help promote vaccine‐related behaviors. This study investigated whether intellectual humility is related to anti‐vaccination attitudes and intentions to vaccinate against COVID‐19, and whether intellectual humility can predict unique variance in these outcomes beyond participant demographic and personal factors. Participants ( N = 351, 57.23% male, mean age = 37.41 years, SD = 11.51) completed a multidimensional measure for intellectual humility, the anti‐vaccination attitudes (VAX) scale, and a two‐item COVID‐19 vaccination intention scale. Bivariate correlations demonstrated that intellectual humility was negatively related with anti‐vaccination attitudes overall, r (349) = −.46, p < .001, and positively related to intentions to vaccinate against COVID‐19, r (349) = .20, p < .001. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that intellectual humility predicted all four types anti‐vaccination attitudes, overall anti‐vaccination attitudes, and COVID‐19 vaccination intentions above and beyond demographic and personal factors (i.e., sex, race/ethnicity, age, education, socioeconomic status, and political orientation), Δ R 2 between .08 and .18, p s < .001. These results bolster intellectual humility as a malleable psychological factor to consider in efforts to combat anti‐vaccination attitudes and promote COVID‐19 vaccination uptake.

Sociodemographic and Psychological Predictors of Intention to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine in Elderly Peruvians

“…Thus, those who had more concerns about trade and speculation with vaccines for COVID-19 also had less intention to be vaccinated. This finding provides further support for previous literature demonstrating that anti-vaccine attitudes are inversely related to intention to vaccinate for COVID-19, as reported by studies in general populations in the UK (Paul et al, 2021) and Turkey (Huynh & Senger, 2021 ). Concern about commercial speculation of vaccines expresses the fear of people, in this case older adults, about the influence that pharmaceutical companies have on the development and dissemination of vaccines (Martin & Petrie, 2017 ).…”

“…Concern about commercial speculation of vaccines expresses the fear of people, in this case older adults, about the influence that pharmaceutical companies have on the development and dissemination of vaccines (Martin & Petrie, 2017 ). In this sense, people who maintain this attitude towards vaccination tend to worry about the presence of ineffective vaccines related to the economic benefits that pharmaceutical companies have obtained in their development, which predicts a lower intention to be vaccinated (Huynh, & Senger, 2021 ).…”

Anticipating hopes, fears and expectations towards COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative interview study in seven European countries

“…This effect is exacerbated in communities that experience discrimination and marginalisation ( Bell et al, 2020 ; Callaghan et al, 2021 ; Dror et al, 2020 ; Khubchandani et al, 2021 ; Malik et al, 2020 ). Research indicates that in some countries, those with a higher degree of education are more likely to accept COVID-19 vaccines ( Dodd et al, 2021 ; Huynh & Senger, 2021 ), though results remain mixed on education as a predictor of vaccine acceptance ( Ansell et al, 2021 ).…”

Pro-Vaccination Attitude and Associated Factors Towards COVID-19 Vaccine among Healthcare Workers and Nonhealthcare Workers: “A Call for Action”-A Systematic Review

“…Thus, to improve the probability of socially bene cial behavior in others via norm activation would be well advised [106]. Vaccinations against COVID-19 pandemic might be a signi cant element of public health and ghting anti-vaccination attitudes may assist this efforts [107]. Preventing the attack on science, trust in scientists, and using nonconservative media for the better perception of COVID-19 vaccine is advised.…”