Effectiveness of message framing in changing COVID-19 vaccination intentions: Moderating role of travel desire

Abstract

This research examines the effectiveness of message framing, message appeal and information content in changing respondents' COVID-19 vaccination intentions through influencing their vaccine risk perceptions. Furthermore, the moderating effect of travel desire on the relationship between vaccine risk perceptions and changing vaccination intentions is examined. In doing so, two rounds of data that were collected from the same respondents. The first survey recorded respondents' vaccination intentions, travel desire and socio demographics. A follow up survey tested cause-and-effect relationships on the proposed relationships using a 2 (message frame: gain, loss) x 2 (message appeal: rational, emotional) ×2 (information content: subjective, objective) between-subjects online experimental design. Findings suggest that loss-framed messages are more effective than gain-framed and emotional-rational messages in reducing risk perceptions and, thus, changing vaccination intentions. Travel desire is found to moderate the effect of vaccine risk perception on vaccination intentions by weakening the negative effect of vaccine risk perception on vaccination intention. Findings show the importance of travel desire along with message framing and message appeal on changing individuals’ COVID-19 vaccination intentions in public health communications.

The Effects of Anthropomorphism, Message Framing, and Voice Type on Unhealthy Sleep Behavior in Young Users: The Mediating Role of Risk Perception

“…In addition, this study verified the mediating effect of risk perception on behavioral intentions. Consistent with previous findings by Gursoy et al [ 58 ] and Jin and Atkinson [ 79 ], risk perception predicted behavioral intentions, that is, risk perception mediates the effect of anthropomorphism on behavioral intention. There was a three-fold interaction effect of anthropomorphism, message framing, and voice type on behavioral intentions.…”

“…In researching message framing in healthy behavior persuasions, we found that although some studies have shown that positive (gain)/negative (loss) frames can generate better attitudes or higher behavioral intentions [ 55 , 58 ], more evidence suggests an overall small or negligible effect [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. For example, de Bruijn et al [ 63 ] conducted a study on the effect of message framing on adolescents’ hearing loss prevention intentions and found no apparent main effect on behavioral intentions.…”

“…In addition, message framing is a significant predictor of risk perception [ 78 ]. Risk perception can mediate the effectiveness of message framing and other variables on behavioral intention [ 58 ]. For example, Jin and Atkinson [ 79 ] proved that risk perception has a positive mediating effect on the influence of emotion and message framing on behavioral intentions, and Gursoy et al [ 58 ] proposed a message framing and information appeal in changing perceived vaccines risk.…”

What Causes Health Information Avoidance Behavior under Normalized COVID-19 Pandemic? A Research from Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

“…It also shows that some purposes can be accomplished by changing the presentation of information. Some studies have applied framing effects [ 82 ] in the service of changing respondents’ COVID-19 vaccination intentions [ 83 ] or prompting healthy behaviors and beliefs with chronic disease [ 84 ].…”

Residents’ Support for Tourism Amidst the COVID-19 Era: An Application of Social Amplification of Risk Framework and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Theory

“…Thus, a plethora of studies have been conducted to examine what impact COVID-19 has had on the travel industry and how the travel industry survives the COVID-19 [ 3 , 4 ]. Among the studies, the research on risk perception (RP) has received considerable attention [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”