To be (Vaccinated) or not to be: The effect of media exposure, institutional trust, and incentives on attitudes toward covid-19 vaccination

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Abstract

The COVID-19 vaccine has become a strategic vehicle for reducing the spread of the pandemic. However, the uptake of the vaccine by the public is more complicated than simply making it available. Based on social learning theory, this study examines the role of communication sources and institutional trust as barriers and incentives as motivators of people’s attitudes toward vaccination and actual vaccination. Data were collected via an online panel survey among Israelis aged 18–55 and then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings show that social media trust negatively mediates the effect of exposure to information on the vaccine on attitudes toward vaccination. However, mass media trust and institutional trust positively mediate this relationship. Incentives were effective motivators for forming positive attitudes and moderating the effect of institutional trust on attitude toward vaccination. This study facilitates a deeper understanding of health communication theory in pandemics and makes important recommendations for practitioners and policy makers.

Original languageEnglish
Article number12894
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume18
Issue number24
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Dec 2021

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • Incentives
  • Institutional trust
  • Media trust
  • Pandemic
  • Vaccination

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Pollution
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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