Using smartphones to study vaccination decisions in the wild
- Author(s)
- Nicolò Alessandro Girardini, Arkadiusz Stopczynski, Olga Baranov, Cornelia Betsch, Dirk Brockmann, Sune Lehmann, Robert Böhm
- Abstract
One of the most important tools available to limit the spread and impact of infectious diseases is vaccination. It is therefore important to understand what factors determine people's vaccination decisions. To this end, previous behavioural research made use of, (i) controlled but often abstract or hypothetical studies (e.g., vignettes) or, (ii) realistic but typically less flexible studies that make it difficult to understand individual decision processes (e.g., clinical trials). Combining the best of these approaches, we propose integrating real-world Bluetooth contacts via smartphones in several rounds of a game scenario, as a novel methodology to study vaccination decisions and disease spread. In our 12-week proof-of-concept study conducted with N = 494 students, we found that participants strongly responded to some of the information provided to them during or after each decision round, particularly those related to their individual health outcomes. In contrast, information related to others' decisions and outcomes (e.g., the number of vaccinated or infected individuals) appeared to be less important. We discuss the potential of this novel method and point to fruitful areas for future research.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Occupational, Economic and Social Psychology
- External organisation(s)
- Università degli Studi di Trento, Mobile and Social Computing Lab (MobS), Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Trento, Italy., Independent researcher, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Schnackenburgallee 114, 22525, Hamburg, Germany., German Center for Infection Research, LMU University Hospital, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Universität Erfurt, Technische Universität Dresden, University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
- Journal
- PLOS digital health
- Volume
- 3
- ISSN
- 2767-3170
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000550
- Publication date
- 08-2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501021 Social psychology
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Informatics
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/using-smartphones-to-study-vaccination-decisions-in-the-wild(5238b086-afaa-4887-88f9-126ed22ca76b).html