I Think I Should Get Vaccinated, I Feel I Should Not. Individual Differences in Information Processing and Vaccination Behavior (COVID-19)

Abstract

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community responded promptly by developing effective vaccines. Still, even though effective vaccines against COVID-19 became available, many people did not seem to be in a rush to become immunized. Community protection can be enhanced if more people decide to vaccinate, and thus it is necessary to identify relevant factors involved in vaccination behavior to find better ways of encouraging it. Vaccination behavior is the result of a decision process that might vary according to individual differences in information processing. We investigated the role of cognitive reflection ability and thinking styles in predicting self-reported vaccination behavior against COVID-19. A sample of 274 Romanian participants was surveyed for the present study, out of which 217 (Mage = 24.58, SD = 8.31; 53% female) declared they had the possibility to become vaccinated. Results showed that a higher level of cognitive reflection ability significantly increased the odds of becoming vaccinated. A rational thinking style was not linked to vaccination behavior. However, an experiential thinking style indirectly predicted vaccination behavior by means of attitudes towards vaccination. Since individual differences in information processing are, to a certain extent, linked to vaccination behavior, the design of vaccination campaigns could consider that people have specific information needs and address them as such.

Analysis of individual characteristics influencing user polarization in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

“…CR is the personal ability or tendency to halt the first impulsive reaction provided by our instinct and to trigger the reflection mechanism that enables us to seek solutions more carefully ( Otero et al, 2022 ). Many kinds of research have found that people receiving COVID-19 vaccine have higher scores on cognitive reflection ability than those who are hesitant or resistant ( Grüner & Krüger, 2021 ; Maroiu et al, 2022 ; Murphy et al, 2021 ).…”

The fourth ethical comment towards COVID-19 (three years later). Trust and faith: social and moral profile of vaccination

“…Таким образом, со стороны обеспечения факторов доверия имела место многокомпонентная качественная недоработка исследовательского, нравственного, административного, правового, информационного и социального индекса. К этому следует добавить, что под прессом очевидной уязвимости вакцинации особое значение стало иметь усиление позиции антивакцинального лобби и присоединение к нему представителей профессиональной медицинской среды [8,32,34].…”

Big Five Personality Traits and Willingness to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19

“…Apart from the Big Five traits, other factors such as cognitive abilities and specific beliefs might cause individual differences in COVID-19 vaccination willingness. For instance, Maroiu et al (2022) observed that higher levels of cognitive reflection abilities increase the odds of getting vaccinated. Also, individuals' perceived efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccination predicts vaccination willingness (Mo et al, 2021) and vaccine hesitant individuals show lower levels of trust in scientists, health care professionals, and the government than vaccine accepting individuals (Murphy et al, 2021).…”