COVID-19 Vaccine Messaging, Part 1

Purpose

This study tests different messages about vaccinating against COVID-19 once the vaccine becomes available. Participants are randomized to 1 of 12 arms, with one control arm and one baseline arm. We will compare the reported willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine at 3 and 6 months of it becoming available between the 10 intervention arms to the 2 control arms. Study participants are recruited online by Lucid, which matches census based sampling in online recruitment.

Conditions

  • Vaccination
  • COVID-19

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • At least 18 years of age - US resident

Exclusion Criteria

  • Younger than 18 years of age - Non-US resident - Do not consent

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
In this study, 2/15 of participants will be assigned to a control message (bird feeding passage), 3/15 of sample to a baseline vaccine message, and 1/15 to each of the 10 other treatment arms.
Primary Purpose
Other
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Sham Comparator
Control 		Control message about birdfeeding
  • Other: Control message
    2/15 of the sample will be assigned to the pure control group, which is a passage on the costs and benefits of bird feeding.
Active Comparator
Baseline message 		These participants will be assigned a message about the benefits of vaccination. All other treatment arms include this baseline language.
  • Other: Baseline message
    3/15 of the sample will be assigned to a control group with a message about the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.
Experimental
Personal freedom 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Personal freedom message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about how COVID-19 is limiting people's personal freedom and by working together to get enough people vaccinated society can preserve its personal freedom.
Experimental
Economic freedom 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Economic freedom message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about how COVID-19 is limiting peoples's economic freedom and by working together to get enough people vaccinated society can preserve its economic freedom.
Experimental
Social benefit, self-interest 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Self-interest message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message that COVID-19 presents a real danger to one's health, even if one is young and healthy. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to prevent oneself from getting sick.
Experimental
Social benefit, community interest 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Community interest message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this intervention, which is a message about the dangers of COVID-19 to the health of loved ones. The more people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the lower the risk that one's loved ones will get sick. Society must work together and all get vaccinated.
Experimental
Economic benefit 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Economic benefit message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this group, which is a message about how COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the economy and the only way to strengthen the economy is to work together to get enough people vaccinated.
Experimental
Social pressure- guilt 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Guilt message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and society must work together to get enough people vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the guilt they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.
Experimental
Social pressure- embarrassment 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Embarrassment message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure that enough people get vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the embarrassment they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.
Experimental
Social pressure- anger 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Anger message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message. The message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure that enough people get vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the anger they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.
Experimental
Trust in science 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Trust in science message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message about how getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most effective way of protecting one's community. Vaccination is backed by science. If one doesn't get vaccinated that means that one doesn't understand how infections are spread or who ignores science.
Experimental
Not bravery arm 		Experimental message arm.
  • Other: Not bravery message
    1/15 of the sample will be assigned to this message which describes how firefighters, doctors, and front line medical workers are brave. Those who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are not brave.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

NCT ID
NCT04460703
Status
Completed
Sponsor
Yale University