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Selfish-rational non-vaccination: Experimental evidence from an interactive vaccination game

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  • Böhm, Robert
  • Betsch, Cornelia
  • Korn, Lars

Abstract

This paper provides an experimental game model – the Interactive Vaccination (I-Vax) Game – in order to investigate the behavioral consequences of risks from disease and from vaccination, and the epidemiological interdependence of vaccination decisions. Results from a controlled laboratory experiment provide evidence for selfish-rational non-vaccination: individuals react to the interactive incentive structure and make strategic vaccination decisions. We also find support for additional psychological factors determining behavior: individuals with stronger positive other-regarding preferences are more likely to vaccinate. Moreover, costs from action (vaccine-adverse events) have a stronger impact on behavior than costs from inaction (disease), which is evidence for the omission bias. Overall, we suggest that variants of the I-Vax Game can contribute to a better understanding of vaccination behavior and vaccine hesitancy. It can further be a useful experimental tool for testing interventions aiming at increasing vaccine uptake.

Suggested Citation

  • Böhm, Robert & Betsch, Cornelia & Korn, Lars, 2016. "Selfish-rational non-vaccination: Experimental evidence from an interactive vaccination game," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 131(PB), pages 183-195.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:131:y:2016:i:pb:p:183-195
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2015.11.008
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    2. Emanuele Blasioli & Bahareh Mansouri & Srinivas Subramanya Tamvada & Elkafi Hassini, 2023. "Vaccine Allocation and Distribution: A Review with a Focus on Quantitative Methodologies and Application to Equity, Hesitancy, and COVID-19 Pandemic," SN Operations Research Forum, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 1-32, June.
    3. Cucciniello, Maria & Pin, Paolo & Imre, Blanka & Porumbescu, Gregory A. & Melegaro, Alessia, 2022. "Altruism and vaccination intentions: Evidence from behavioral experiments," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    4. Reddinger, J. Lucas & Charness, Gary & Levine, David, 2022. "Prosocial motivation for vaccination," SocArXiv emj6v, Center for Open Science.
    5. Graeber, Daniel & Schmidt-Petri, Christoph & Schröder, Carsten, 2021. "Attitudes on voluntary and mandatory vaccination against COVID-19: Evidence from Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 16(5), pages 1-18.
    6. Lohmann, Paul M. & Gsottbauer, Elisabeth & You, Jing & Kontoleon, Andreas, 2023. "Anti-social behaviour and economic decision-making: Panel experimental evidence in the wake of COVID-19," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 136-171.
    7. Hirani, Jonas Cuzulan & Wüst, Miriam, 2024. "Reminder design and childhood vaccination coverage," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    8. Adrian Hillenbrand & Eugenio Verrina, 2018. "The differential effect of narratives prosocial behavior," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2018_16, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, revised Jun 2020.
    9. Marcelino Pérez-Bermejo & Alexis Cloquell-Lozano & Carmen Moret-Tatay & Francisco Javier Arteaga-Moreno, 2022. "Social Vulnerability and COVID-19 Vaccine in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-7, October.
    10. Henrike Sternberg & Janina Isabel Steinert & Tim Büthe, 2023. "Compliance in the Public versus the Private Realm: Economic Preferences, Institutional Trust and COVID-19 Health Behaviors," Munich Papers in Political Economy 28, Munich School of Politics and Public Policy and the School of Management at the Technical University of Munich.
    11. Gallo, Edoardo & Barak, Darija & Langtry, Alastair, 2023. "Social distancing in networks: A web-based interactive experiment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    12. Blondel, Serge & Langot, François & Mueller, Judith E. & Sicsic, Jonathan, 2021. "Preferences and COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions," IZA Discussion Papers 14823, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Günther Fink & Margaret McConnell & Bich Diep Nguyen, 2021. "Learn or react? An experimental study of preventive health decision making," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 24(1), pages 206-237, March.
    14. Mulder, Laetitia B. & Lokate, Mariëtte, 2022. "The effect of moral appeals on influenza vaccination uptake and support for a vaccination mandate among health care workers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    15. Henrike Sternberg & Janina Isabel Steinert & Tim Büthe, 2024. "Compliance in the public versus the private realm: Economic preferences, institutional trust and COVID‐19 health behaviors," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 1055-1119, May.
    16. Robert Böhm & Nicolas W. Meier & Lars Korn & Cornelia Betsch, 2017. "Behavioural consequences of vaccination recommendations: An experimental analysis," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S3), pages 66-75, December.
    17. Simon Binder & Robert Nuscheler, 2017. "Risk‐taking in vaccination, surgery, and gambling environments: Evidence from a framed laboratory experiment," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S3), pages 76-96, December.
    18. Claudio Deiana & Andrea Geraci & Gianluca Mazzarella & Fabio Sabatini, 2022. "Perceived risk and vaccine hesitancy: Quasi‐experimental evidence from Italy," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(6), pages 1266-1275, June.
    19. Hillenbrand, Adrian & Verrina, Eugenio, 2022. "The asymmetric effect of narratives on prosocial behavior," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 241-270.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Vaccination; Health behavior; Experiment; Social dilemma;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C7 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory
    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • D7 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making
    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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