Incorporating public values into public health communications: Effects of value affirmations on intentions to vaccinate and trust in the U.S.
- 1Department of Psychology, Oregon State University – Cascades, Bend, Oregon, United States of America
- 2Department of Anthropology, Oregon State University – Cascades, Bend, Oregon, United States of America
Abstract
A set of COVID-19 pro-vaccine messages that aligned with key social values of vaccine-hesitant individuals was developed. In Spring of 2021, unvaccinated adults in the U.S. (n = 1,170) completed an online survey in which they were randomly assigned to read through one of several different pro-vaccine messages, followed by assessments of their future COVID-19 vaccine likelihood and level of trust in government, health care, and vaccines. Relative to a control condition, messages that affirmed individuals’ distrust in the government and concerns over restrictions on personal liberty resulted in higher vaccination likelihood and greater trust. While the observed effect sizes of these messaging conditions were small, the findings have implications for broadening the value frames of public health appeals and understanding how and why vaccine hesitancy acts as a powerful way for people to express their values and authentic experiences.
Related
- Effect of Social Norm Messages on US Adults' Antibiotic Use Intentions.
- Testing the theory of planned behavior in predicting evacuation intentions during storms
- Older adults’ evaluations of smart home control screen designs: Appearance dimensions and behavioral intentions in a multi-stage study
- Which changes in adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices following a school-based intervention in France increase HPV vaccination uptake and intentions? A mediation analysis
- Shifting social norms, behavioural intentions and opposition to female genital mutilation: Effectiveness of layered community interventions in a high prevalence setting in Kenya
BibTeX
@article{wolsko2026incorporating,
title = {{Incorporating public values into public health communications: Effects of value affirmations on intentions to vaccinate and trust in the U.S.}},
author = {Christopher Wolsko and Elizabeth Marino},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0356783},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356783},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Incorporating public values into public health communications: Effects of value affirmations on intentions to vaccinate and trust in the U.S.
AU - Christopher Wolsko
AU - Elizabeth Marino
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/16
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0356783
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356783
AB - A set of COVID-19 pro-vaccine messages that aligned with key social values of vaccine-hesitant individuals was developed. In Spring of 2021, unvaccinated adults in the U.S. (n = 1,170) completed an online survey in which they were randomly assigned to read through one of several different pro-vaccine messages, followed by assessments of their future COVID-19 vaccine likelihood and level of trust in government, health care, and vaccines. Relative to a control condition, messages that affirmed individuals’ distrust in the government and concerns over restrictions on personal liberty resulted in higher vaccination likelihood and greater trust. While the observed effect sizes of these messaging conditions were small, the findings have implications for broadening the value frames of public health appeals and understanding how and why vaccine hesitancy acts as a powerful way for people to express their values and authentic experiences.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -