Trait reactance as psychological motivation to reject vaccination: Two longitudinal studies and one experimental study

Anna Soveri; Linda C. Karlsson; Karl O. Mäki; Dawn Holford; Angelo Fasce; Philipp Schmid; Jan Antfolk; Linnea Karlsson; Hasse Karlsson; Saara Nolvi; Max Karukivi; Mikael Lindfelt; Stephan Lewandowsky

doi:10.1111/aphw.12506

Trait reactance as psychological motivation to reject vaccination: Two longitudinal studies and one experimental study

Anna Soveri^*, Linda C. Karlsson, Karl O. Mäki, Dawn Holford, Angelo Fasce, Philipp Schmid, Jan Antfolk, Linnea Karlsson, Hasse Karlsson, Saara Nolvi, Max Karukivi, Mikael Lindfelt, Stephan Lewandowsky

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article (Specialist Publication)

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Abstract

Anti-science attitudes can be resilient to scientific evidence if they are rooted in psychological motives. One such motive is trait reactance, which refers to the need to react with opposition when one's freedom of choice has been threatened. In three studies, we investigated trait reactance as a psychological motivation to reject vaccination. In the longitudinal studies (n=199; 293),we examined if trait reactance measured before theCOVID-19 pandemic was related to people's willing-ness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 up to 2 years later during the pandemic. In the experimental study(n=398), we tested whether trait reactance makes anti-vaccination attitudes more resistant to information and whether this resistance can be mitigated by framing the information to minimize the risk of triggering state reactance. The longitudinal studies showed that higher trait reactance before the COVID-19 pandemic was related to lower willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Our experimental study indicated that highly reactant individuals' willingness to vaccinate was unaffected by the amount and framing of the information provided. Trait reactance has a strong and durable impact on vaccination willingness. This highlights the importance of considering the role of trait reactance in people's vaccination-related decision-making.

Original language	English
Specialist publication	Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12506
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 9 Nov 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant Agreement No. 964728; JITSUVAX). This work was supported by the Academy of Finland [grant numbers 316004 and 316726], the doctoral network of Minority Research at Åbo Akademi University, and the Polin Institute. The funding sources had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Funding information

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.

Research Groups and Themes

TeDCog

Keywords

reactance
state reactance
trait reactance
vaccination
vaccine hesitancy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/aphw.12506Licence: CC BY

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JITSUVAX: JIU-JITSU WITH MISINFORMATION IN THE AGE OF COVID: USING REFUTATION-BASED LEARNING TO ENHANCE VACCINE UPTAKE AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND THE PUBLIC
Lewandowsky, S. (Principal Investigator), Gould, G. (Manager), Finn, A. H. R. (Co-Investigator), Barden, M. L. (Researcher), Anderson, E. C. (Researcher), Fisher, H. (Researcher) & Roderick, M. R. (Collaborator)
1/04/21 → 31/03/25
Project: Research, Parent

Cite this

Soveri, A., Karlsson, L. C., Mäki, K. O., Holford, D., Fasce, A., Schmid, P., Antfolk, J., Karlsson, L., Karlsson, H., Nolvi, S., Karukivi, M., Lindfelt, M., & Lewandowsky, S. (2023). Trait reactance as psychological motivation to reject vaccination: Two longitudinal studies and one experimental study. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12506

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abstract = "Anti-science attitudes can be resilient to scientific evidence if they are rooted in psychological motives. One such motive is trait reactance, which refers to the need to react with opposition when one's freedom of choice has been threatened. In three studies, we investigated trait reactance as a psychological motivation to reject vaccination. In the longitudinal studies (n=199; 293),we examined if trait reactance measured before theCOVID-19 pandemic was related to people's willing-ness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 up to 2 years later during the pandemic. In the experimental study(n=398), we tested whether trait reactance makes anti-vaccination attitudes more resistant to information and whether this resistance can be mitigated by framing the information to minimize the risk of triggering state reactance. The longitudinal studies showed that higher trait reactance before the COVID-19 pandemic was related to lower willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Our experimental study indicated that highly reactant individuals' willingness to vaccinate was unaffected by the amount and framing of the information provided. Trait reactance has a strong and durable impact on vaccination willingness. This highlights the importance of considering the role of trait reactance in people's vaccination-related decision-making. ",

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author = "Anna Soveri and Karlsson, \{Linda C.\} and M{\"a}ki, \{Karl O.\} and Dawn Holford and Angelo Fasce and Philipp Schmid and Jan Antfolk and Linnea Karlsson and Hasse Karlsson and Saara Nolvi and Max Karukivi and Mikael Lindfelt and Stephan Lewandowsky",

note = "Funding Information: This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant Agreement No. 964728; JITSUVAX). This work was supported by the Academy of Finland [grant numbers 316004 and 316726], the doctoral network of Minority Research at {\AA}bo Akademi University, and the Polin Institute. The funding sources had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Funding information Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.",

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AU - Nolvi, Saara

AU - Karukivi, Max

AU - Lindfelt, Mikael

AU - Lewandowsky, Stephan

N1 - Funding Information: This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant Agreement No. 964728; JITSUVAX). This work was supported by the Academy of Finland [grant numbers 316004 and 316726], the doctoral network of Minority Research at Åbo Akademi University, and the Polin Institute. The funding sources had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Funding information Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.

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N2 - Anti-science attitudes can be resilient to scientific evidence if they are rooted in psychological motives. One such motive is trait reactance, which refers to the need to react with opposition when one's freedom of choice has been threatened. In three studies, we investigated trait reactance as a psychological motivation to reject vaccination. In the longitudinal studies (n=199; 293),we examined if trait reactance measured before theCOVID-19 pandemic was related to people's willing-ness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 up to 2 years later during the pandemic. In the experimental study(n=398), we tested whether trait reactance makes anti-vaccination attitudes more resistant to information and whether this resistance can be mitigated by framing the information to minimize the risk of triggering state reactance. The longitudinal studies showed that higher trait reactance before the COVID-19 pandemic was related to lower willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Our experimental study indicated that highly reactant individuals' willingness to vaccinate was unaffected by the amount and framing of the information provided. Trait reactance has a strong and durable impact on vaccination willingness. This highlights the importance of considering the role of trait reactance in people's vaccination-related decision-making.

AB - Anti-science attitudes can be resilient to scientific evidence if they are rooted in psychological motives. One such motive is trait reactance, which refers to the need to react with opposition when one's freedom of choice has been threatened. In three studies, we investigated trait reactance as a psychological motivation to reject vaccination. In the longitudinal studies (n=199; 293),we examined if trait reactance measured before theCOVID-19 pandemic was related to people's willing-ness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 up to 2 years later during the pandemic. In the experimental study(n=398), we tested whether trait reactance makes anti-vaccination attitudes more resistant to information and whether this resistance can be mitigated by framing the information to minimize the risk of triggering state reactance. The longitudinal studies showed that higher trait reactance before the COVID-19 pandemic was related to lower willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Our experimental study indicated that highly reactant individuals' willingness to vaccinate was unaffected by the amount and framing of the information provided. Trait reactance has a strong and durable impact on vaccination willingness. This highlights the importance of considering the role of trait reactance in people's vaccination-related decision-making.

KW - reactance

KW - state reactance

KW - trait reactance

KW - vaccination

KW - vaccine hesitancy

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DO - 10.1111/aphw.12506

M3 - Article (Specialist Publication)

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SN - 1758-0854

JO - Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being

JF - Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being

ER -

Trait reactance as psychological motivation to reject vaccination: Two longitudinal studies and one experimental study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Research Groups and Themes

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Projects

JITSUVAX: JIU-JITSU WITH MISINFORMATION IN THE AGE OF COVID: USING REFUTATION-BASED LEARNING TO ENHANCE VACCINE UPTAKE AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND THE PUBLIC

Cite this