Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination: The Interplay of Message Framing, Psychological Uncertainty, and Public Agency as a Message Source

Yan Huang,Wenlin Liu

doi:10.1177/10755470211048192

Abstract

The study examines how framing, psychological uncertainty, and agency type influence campaign effectiveness in promoting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. A 2 (gain vs. loss frame) × 2 (high vs. low uncertainty) × 2 (national vs. local agency) between-subjects experiment was conducted among Houston residents ( N = 382). Findings revealed that a loss frame was more effective among participants primed with high uncertainty through a thought-listing task; however, it was less persuasive under conditions of low uncertainty due to increased psychological reactance. Moreover, there was an interaction effect between uncertainty and agency type on vaccine beliefs. The study contributes to the framing literature by identifying psychological uncertainty as a moderator and provides useful suggestions for vaccine message design.

Highlights

The study examines how framing, psychological uncertainty, and agency type influence campaign effectiveness in promoting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines
Will individuals perceive campaign messages on social media differently depending on the involved public agency? Will national versus local agencies qualify the impact of message frames or uncertainty due to varying perceptions of psychological distance? This study will explore these questions through a simulated social media campaign among Houston residents, with Houston being one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic (Dougherty, 2020)
We propose the following research question: Research Question 4 (RQ4): Is there any two-way interaction effect between psychological uncertainty and agency type on (a) vaccine-related beliefs and (b) vaccination intention? a message from a local agency would be more effective than the same message from a national agency under conditions of low uncertainty; the difference across agency types would disappear under conditions of high uncertainty

Summary

Introduction

The study examines how framing, psychological uncertainty, and agency type influence campaign effectiveness in promoting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. A meta-analysis revealed no overall difference in the relative persuasiveness of gain–loss frames in vaccine promotion (O’Keefe & Nan, 2012), persuasion scholars have proposed an integrative framework, suggesting that framing effects are contingent on the manner of information processing (Nan et al, 2018) Guided by this framework, this study investigates psychological uncertainty as a qualifier of the framing impact. It examines psychological uncertainty as a qualifier of framing effects and investigates the psychological mechanisms It explores the effects of national versus local agencies as a message source in promoting COVID-19 vaccination on social media and how it interacts with message frames and psychological uncertainty. As misinformation and uncertainty have infiltrated the public space, this study aims to provide useful knowledge for public agencies about how to communicate effectively with the public to wade through “noises” and maximize campaign effectiveness

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