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Do Decision Biases Predict Bad Decisions? Omission Bias, Naturalness Bias, and Influenza Vaccination

Author

Listed:
  • Marco daCosta DiBonaventura

    (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, dibonavm@mskcc.org)

  • Gretchen B. Chapman

    (Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey)

Abstract

Purpose. Numerous studies using hypothetical vignettes have demonstrated decision biases or deviations from utility theory. Do people who commit biases in questionnaire studies make worse real-world decisions than do less biased people? Methods. Two hundred seventy university faculty and staff participated in a questionnaire study in which they reported whether they accepted a free influenza vaccine offered at their work place. Influenza vaccine acceptance was the measure of real-world decision making. Participants responded to 3 hypothetical scenarios. Two scenarios measured the omission bias and described a vaccine (scenario 1) and a medication (scenario 2) that prevented a negative health outcome but that itself could cause the negative health outcome. The omission bias is a preference for not vaccinating or medicating even when the vaccine/medication lowers the total risk of the negative outcome. A 3rd scenario measured the naturalness bias by presenting a choice between 2 chemically identical medications, one extracted from a natural herb and the other synthesized in a laboratory. Preference for the natural medication indicated the naturalness bias. Results. The results indicated that a substantial proportion of participants exhibited these biases and that participants who exhibited these biases were less likely to accept the flu vaccine. Conclusions. To the extent that declining a free flu vaccine is a worse real-world decision, people who demonstrate the naturalness and omission biases in hypothetical scenarios make worse real-world decisions. Key words: omission bias; naturalness bias; influenza; vaccination. (Med Decis Making 2008;28:532 — 539)

Suggested Citation

  • Marco daCosta DiBonaventura & Gretchen B. Chapman, 2008. "Do Decision Biases Predict Bad Decisions? Omission Bias, Naturalness Bias, and Influenza Vaccination," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 28(4), pages 532-539, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:medema:v:28:y:2008:i:4:p:532-539
    DOI: 10.1177/0272989X07312723
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gary D. Sherman & Beth Vallen & Stacey R. Finkelstein & Paul M. Connell & Wendy Attaya Boland & Kristen Feemster, 2021. "When taking action means accepting responsibility: Omission bias predicts parents' reluctance to vaccinate due to greater anticipated culpability for negative side effects," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 1660-1681, December.
    2. Vicki S. Freimuth & Amelia Jamison & Gregory Hancock & Donald Musa & Karen Hilyard & Sandra Crouse Quinn, 2017. "The Role of Risk Perception in Flu Vaccine Behavior among African‐American and White Adults in the United States," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(11), pages 2150-2163, November.
    3. Shanike J. Smart & Solomon W. Polachek, 2024. "COVID-19 vaccine and risk-taking," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 68(1), pages 25-49, February.
    4. Polman, Evan, 2012. "Self–other decision making and loss aversion," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 119(2), pages 141-150.
    5. Braverman, Jennifer A. & Blumenthal-Barby, J.S., 2012. "Assessment of the sunk-cost effect in clinical decision-making," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 186-192.
    6. Jiménez, Ángel V. & Stubbersfield, Joseph M. & Tehrani, Jamshid J., 2018. "An experimental investigation into the transmission of antivax attitudes using a fictional health controversy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 23-27.
    7. Li-Jun Ji & Courtney M. Lappas & Xin-qiang Wang & Brian P. Meier, 2023. "The Naturalness Bias Influences Drug and Vaccine Decisions across Cultures," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 43(2), pages 252-262, February.
    8. Kaitlin T. Raimi & Kimberly S. Wolske & P. Sol Hart & Victoria Campbell‐Arvai, 2020. "The Aversion to Tampering with Nature (ATN) Scale: Individual Differences in (Dis)comfort with Altering the Natural World," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(3), pages 638-656, March.
    9. Ángel V Jiménez & Alex Mesoudi & Jamshid J Tehrani, 2020. "No evidence that omission and confirmation biases affect the perception and recall of vaccine-related information," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.

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