Countering antivaccination attitudes

Horne, Zachary; Powell, Derek; Hummel, John E.; Holyoak, Keith J.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1504019112

Cited by 275 publications

(252 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Horne et al (1) conclude from their study that a combination of warnings, an anecdote about a sick child, and pictures thereof are suitable to counter antivaccination attitudes; however, correcting vaccination myths proved unsuccessful. Yet, the study is somewhat fuzzy about what "antivaccination" actually means.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Don’t try to convert the antivaccinators, instead target the fence-sitters

Betsch

Korn

Holtmann

2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Don’t try to convert the antivaccinators, instead target the fence-sitters

Betsch

Korn

Holtmann

2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…In the case of avoiding antibiotic resistance, for example, explanations that (1) distinguished between antibiotics and medications for symptomatic relief and (2) elaborated the evolutionary biology of bacteria led adults to predict they'd be more likely to practice antibiotic compliance in hypothetical scenarios (Hasan & Markman, 2014). Similarly, addressing misconceptions about the severity of childhood diseases improved adults' attitudes toward vaccinating children (Horne et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a recent study, Horne, Powell, Hummel, and Holyoak (2015) suggest three reasons for these failures: People with strong beliefs often succumb to a confirmation bias and discount negative evidence; it is difficult to provide convincing evidence for a lack of risk; and efforts to convince parents about the safety of vaccines sometimes backfire, actually strengthening beliefs that vaccines are risky.…”

Section: Case Study 3: Vaccinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theory-based explanation as intervention

Weisman

Markman

2017

Psychon Bull Rev

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Cogent explanations are an indispensable means of providing new information and an essential component of effective education. Beyond this, we argue that there is tremendous untapped potential in using explanations to motivate behavior change. In this article we focus on health interventions. We review four case studies that used carefully tailored explanations to address gaps and misconceptions in people's intuitive theories, providing participants with a conceptual framework for understanding how and why some recommended behavior is an effective way of achieving a health goal. These case studies targeted a variety of health-promoting behaviors: (1) children washing their hands to prevent viral epidemics; (2) parents vaccinating their children to stem the resurgence of infectious diseases; (3) adults completing the full course of an antibiotic prescription to reduce antibiotic resistance; and (4) children eating a variety of healthy foods to improve unhealthy diets. Simply telling people to engage in these behaviors has been largely ineffective-if anything, concern about these issues is mounting. But in each case, teaching participants coherent explanatory frameworks for understanding health recommendations has shown great promise, with such theory-based explanations outperforming state-of-the-art interventions from national health authorities. We contrast theorybased explanations both with simply listing facts, information, and advice and with providing a full-blown educational curriculum, and argue for providing the minimum amount of information required to understand the causal link between a target behavior and a health outcome. We argue that such theory-based explanations lend people the motivation and confidence to act on their new understanding.

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“…In 2010, the state of California reported more than 9000 cases of pertussis, a historic rise in numbers, and the highest since 1947. [1][2][3] These cases occurred mainly in infants who were not yet vaccinated and therefore relied on herd immunity for protection. Vaccination rates appear to be about 90% for most preventable childhood diseases, but these statistics may mask a subset of communities that may not routinely vaccinate their children or who may have similarly held beliefs regarding the dangers of vaccinations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…16 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlined a series of facts designed to counter most common vaccine myths and address likely causes of vaccine hesitancy. This may be a useful tool for providers who need talking points when counseling a parent on vaccine use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Training Students to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and/or Refusal

Vyas

Galal

Rogan

et al. 2018

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

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Objective. To determine the impact of a vaccine hesitancy learning unit on student knowledge, attitudes, and ability to address vaccine hesitancy and/or refusal. Methods. The learning unit consisted of two standardized patient simulation encounters performed one week apart. A 13-item attitudes survey was administered prior to the simulations to determine student confidence and knowledge regarding vaccine hesitancy. Students then participated in an encounter with a simulated patient who assessed the students' abilities using a 16-item grading rubric related to the art of the rhetoric, communication skills, and social, emotional competence. Post-simulation, students received feedback, completed a self-reflection exercise, and received formal coursework on addressing vaccine hesitancy. The following week, students participated in a second simulated patient encounter and thereafter completed the same attitudes and satisfaction surveys.Results. There were 203 students who went through the learning unit, with 180 (88.6% response rate) completing all the survey tools. The results showed significant improvements in all 16 items of the assessment rubric. On the pre/post attitudes questions, 9 out of 13 items showed significant improvement. Gains were largest for knowledge on the use of thimerosal as a preservative, speaking about how vaccines will not overwhelm a child's immune system, and knowledge about vaccinations not overwhelming a child's immune system. Overall, 94% of students were satisfied with the learning unit. Conclusion. This learning unit was effective in improving student confidence and ability to address vaccine hesitancy.

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Countering antivaccination attitudes

Cited by 275 publications

References 15 publications

Don’t try to convert the antivaccinators, instead target the fence-sitters

Don’t try to convert the antivaccinators, instead target the fence-sitters

Theory-based explanation as intervention

Training Students to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and/or Refusal

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