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How Implicit Attitudes toward Vaccination Affect Vaccine Hesitancy and Behaviour: Developing and Validating the V-IRAP

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Simione

    (Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Monia Vagni

    (Department of Humanities, University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

  • Tiziana Maiorano

    (Department of Humanities, University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

  • Valeria Giostra

    (Department of Humanities, University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

  • Daniela Pajardi

    (Department of Humanities, University of Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

Abstract

Vaccination is one of the most important ways of fighting infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. However, vaccine hesitancy and refusal can reduce adherence to vaccination campaigns, and therefore undermine their effectiveness. Although the scientific community has made great efforts to understand the psychological causes of vaccine hesitancy, studies on vaccine intention have usually relied on traditional detection techniques, such as questionnaires. Probing these constructs explicitly could be problematic due to defense mechanisms or social desirability. Thus, a measure capable of detecting implicit attitudes towards vaccination is needed. To achieve this aim, we designed and validated a new test called the Vaccine-IRAP, or V-IRAP, which is a modified version of the original Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, or IRAP, task. The V-IRAP allows the unspoken reasons behind vaccine hesitancy to be investigated, and is able to distinguish between positive and negative beliefs on vaccination. The test was assessed in a sample of 151 participants. The V-IRAP showed good internal reliability and convergent validity, with meaningful correlational patterns with explicit measures. Moreover, it revealed incremental validity over such explicit measures. Lastly, the V-IRAP was able to shed light on the implicit attitudes involved in vaccine refusal, revealing negative attitudes relative to vaccine-related risks in non-vaccinated participants. Overall, these results support V-IRAP as a sensitive and reliable tool that could be used in future studies on implicit attitudes toward vaccination.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Simione & Monia Vagni & Tiziana Maiorano & Valeria Giostra & Daniela Pajardi, 2022. "How Implicit Attitudes toward Vaccination Affect Vaccine Hesitancy and Behaviour: Developing and Validating the V-IRAP," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-18, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:7:p:4205-:d:785127
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrea Guazzini & Andrea Pesce & Lorena Marotta & Mirko Duradoni, 2022. "Through the Second Wave: Analysis of the Psychological and Perceptive Changes in the Italian Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-12, January.
    2. Zhaoxie Zeng & Yi Ding & Yue Zhang & Yongyu Guo, 2022. "What Breeds Conspiracy Theories in COVID-19? The Role of Risk Perception in the Belief in COVID-19 Conspiracy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-11, April.
    3. Laura Colautti & Alice Cancer & Sara Magenes & Alessandro Antonietti & Paola Iannello, 2022. "Risk-Perception Change Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine’s Side Effects: The Role of Individual Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Rita Graziani & Lucia Botindari & Michela Menegatti & Silvia Moscatelli, 2022. "So Far, So Close: Identification with Proximal and Distal Groups as a Resource in Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-20, September.
    2. Xuejiao Chen & Chen Chen & Yanyun Wang & Shijian Yan & Lulu Mao & Guoming Yu, 2024. "Understanding personalized persuasion strategies in implicit attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine: the moderating effects of personality traits based on an ERP study," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Mirko Duradoni & Mustafa Can Gursesli & Letizia Materassi & Elena Serritella & Andrea Guazzini, 2022. "The Long-COVID Experience Changed People’s Vaccine Hesitancy but Not Their Vaccination Fear," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, November.
    4. Tabia Henry Akintobi & Rakale C. Quarells & Robert A. Bednarczyk & Saadia Khizer & Brittany D. Taylor & Michelle N. A. Nwagwu & Mekhi Hill & Claudia E. Ordóñez & Gaëlle Sabben & Sedessie Spivey & Kayl, 2023. "Community-Centered Assessment to Inform Pandemic Response in Georgia (US)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Yeon-Jun Choi & Julak Lee & Seung Yeop Paek, 2022. "Public Awareness and Sentiment toward COVID-19 Vaccination in South Korea: Findings from Big Data Analytics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-14, August.

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