Does Framing and Humor Improve the Effectiveness of Messages About COVID-19 Vaccine
Condition: Beliefs
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study seeks to assess the efficacy of educational messages to correct misperceptions.
      People hold a number of misperceptions that are relevant to public health, including
      misperceptions regarding COVID vaccines. Some people incorrectly think the COVID vaccines
      authorized by FDA are not safe or effective. These misperceptions can reduce adherence to
      public health recommendations and result in continued spread of COVID. This study will test
      if humor and different types of framing increase the efficacy of messages to correct
      misperceptions about FDA's authorized coronavirus vaccine safety and effectiveness. The
      frames tested will include: framing the vaccine as a way to boost economic recovery and
      framing the vaccine as a way to increase freedom to choose how to behave. The addition of
      humor will also be tested. Message efficacy will be measured via improved accuracy of beliefs
      after being exposed to the message. In other words, participants will be asked how safe and
      effective FDA authorized COVID vaccines are before seeing a message, then they will see a
      message about why the COVID vaccines are safe and effective, and then they will again be
      asked how safe and effective they think the vaccines are. This study will also assess the
      accuracy of inferential beliefs. This will be accomplished by asking participants questions
      about other vaccines that either are or are not authorized by FDA. If participants have
      understood the messages and updated their mental models of how FDA evaluates vaccines, they
      should be able to infer if other vaccines are safe and effective based on their FDA
      authorization status.

      Hypotheses

      H1: Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic
      recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will be more likely to increase their
      agreement with the statement that the FDA will only authorize coronavirus vaccines that are
      safe and effective after message exposure than participants exposed to the control condition.

      H2: Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic
      recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will agree more strongly with the
      statement that the FDA approved flu vaccine is safe and effective after message exposure than
      participants exposed to the control condition.

      H3. Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic
      recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will agree more strongly with the
      statement that the ResVax vaccine, which was not approved by the FDA for the treatment of
      RSV, is a safe and effective after message exposure than participants exposed to the control
      condition.

      H4. Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic
      recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will be more likely to increase
      behavioral intentions to get an FDA authorized COVID vaccine after message exposure than
      participants exposed to the control condition.
    


Intervention name(s): Corrective message framing and humor
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The main content of the messages will be the same. Experimental conditions (arms 2-4) will additionally include consequent framing as a result of getting vaccinated (e.g. economic recovery for arm 2 and freedom for arm 3) and humor for arm 4. Participants will be randomized to view one of the four messages.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Model Description: Participants will be randomized to view one of four messages. The control message explains why people are hesitant to accept the FDA authorized COVID vaccines are safe and effective and how they are evaluated. Arm 2 additionally includes consequent framing regarding economic recovery (e.g. "If everyone gets vaccinated, we can keep schools, stores, and other businesses open so more Americans can keep working and supporting their families." With a picture of an "open for business" sign), arm 3 includes consequent framing regarding freedom to behave as one chooses (e.g. "Everyone getting vaccinated is the key to freedom! A vaccine can give us the freedom to hang out with friends, shop, and worship together again safely." With a picture of an American flag), and arm 4 includes humor (e.g. "Unfortunately, everyone getting vaccinated means leaving the house again.").
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Other