Using smartphones to study vaccination decisions in the wild

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Nicolò Alessandro Girardini - , Università degli Studi di Trento, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (Autor:in)
  • Arkadiusz Stopczynski - (Autor:in)
  • Olga Baranov - , Fraunhofer-Institut für Translationale Medizin und Pharmakologie, Deutsche Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Standort München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Cornelia Betsch - , Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universität Erfurt (Autor:in)
  • Dirk Brockmann - , Professur für Biologie komplexer Systeme (SynoSys), Center Synergy of Systems (SynoSys), Center for Interdisciplinary Digital Sciences (CIDS), Fakultät Physik (Autor:in)
  • Sune Lehmann - , Universität Kopenhagen, Technical University of Denmark (Autor:in)
  • Robert Böhm - , Universität Kopenhagen, Universität Wien (Autor:in)

Abstract

One of the most important tools available to limit the spread and impact of infectious diseases is vaccination. It is therefore important to understand what factors determine people’s vaccination decisions. To this end, previous behavioural research made use of, (i) controlled but often abstract or hypothetical studies (e.g., vignettes) or, (ii) realistic but typically less flexible studies that make it difficult to understand individual decision processes (e.g., clinical trials). Combining the best of these approaches, we propose integrating real-world Bluetooth contacts via smartphones in several rounds of a game scenario, as a novel methodology to study vaccination decisions and disease spread. In our 12-week proof-of-concept study conducted with N = 494 students, we found that participants strongly responded to some of the information provided to them during or after each decision round, particularly those related to their individual health outcomes. In contrast, information related to others’ decisions and outcomes (e.g., the number of vaccinated or infected individuals) appeared to be less important. We discuss the potential of this novel method and point to fruitful areas for future research.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummere0000550
Seitenumfang19
FachzeitschriftPLOS digital health
Jahrgang3 (2024)
Ausgabenummer8
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 1 Aug. 2024
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

Scopus 85201905702

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Bibliotheksschlagworte