A New Normal: The Effect of Demographics, Media, and Social Networks on Coronavirus Vaccine Decision-Making

Abstract

Throughout the study, I explored the influence of demographic factors, media bias, and social networks on an individual's willingness to receive a vaccine. Participants were chosen from across the United States and invited to evaluate these factors along with their satisfaction with their state government's handling of the pandemic, personal health practices, and their personal experiences with coronavirus. I found that demographic factors like political and racial identities significantly impacted an individual's willingness to receive a vaccine. Specifically, Republicans and Black/African American-identifying individuals were less willing to get vaccinated. These results speak to misinformation associated with polarized media sources and mistrust in the healthcare system, respectively. Beliefs about the protective function of vaccines had a significant effect on willingness. I presented participants with randomized positive and negative messages about vaccines to induce a messaging effect, but I did not observe a significant association. However, an individual willingness' was significantly aligned with their social networks' perceived willingness, specifically their families' presumed willingness. These results suggest that while most individuals are willing to receive a vaccine, there are still subsets of the population experiencing hesitancy. It is necessary that we adequately address these concerns and build trust with these communities to ensure a successful vaccination campaign.

Keywords: coronavirus, vaccine hesitancy, media bias, messaging effect, social networks, decision-making