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Beliefs about Social Norms and (the Polarization of) Covid-19 Vaccination Readiness

Author

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  • Silvia Angerer
  • Daniela Glätzle-Rützler
  • Philipp Lergetporer
  • Thomas Rittmannsberger

Abstract

Social norms affect a wide range of behaviors in society. We conducted a representative experiment to study how beliefs about the existing social norm regarding COVID-19 vaccination affect vaccination readiness. Beliefs about the norm are on average downward biased, and widely dispersed. Randomly providing information about the existing descriptive norm succeeds in correcting biased beliefs, thereby reducing belief dispersion. The information has no effect on vaccination readiness on average, which is due to opposite effects among women (positive) and men (negative). Fundamental differences in how women and men process the same information are likely the cause for these contrasting information effects. Control-group vaccination intentions are lower among women than men, so the information reduces polarization by gender. Additionally, the information reduces gendered polarization in policy preferences related to COVID-19 vaccination.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Angerer & Daniela Glätzle-Rützler & Philipp Lergetporer & Thomas Rittmannsberger, 2022. "Beliefs about Social Norms and (the Polarization of) Covid-19 Vaccination Readiness," CESifo Working Paper Series 10196, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10196
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ricardo Perez-Truglia & Guillermo Cruces, 2017. "Partisan Interactions: Evidence from a Field Experiment in the United States," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 125(4), pages 1208-1243.
    2. Agranov, Marina & Elliott, Matt & Ortoleva, Pietro, 2021. "The importance of Social Norms against Strategic Effects: The case of Covid-19 vaccine uptake," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Angerer, Silvia & Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela & Lergetporer, Philipp & Rittmannsberger, Thomas, 2023. "How does the vaccine approval procedure affect COVID-19 vaccination intentions?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Hermes, Henning & Lergetporer, Philipp & Peter, Frauke & Wiederhold, Simon, 2021. "Behavioral Barriers and the Socioeconomic Gap in Child Care Enrollment," IZA Discussion Papers 14698, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Mustafa Kaba & Murat Koyuncu & Sebastian O. Schneider & Matthias Sutter, 2023. "Social Norms, Political Polarization, and Vaccination Attitudes: Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Turkey," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2023_08, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social norms; vaccination; Covid-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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