Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
11:51
Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making
Published on: March 2, 2011
14.7K
Free-riding behavior in vaccination decisions: an experimental study
Yoko Ibuka1, Meng Li2, Jeffrey Vietri3
1Graduate School of Economics, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
Plos One
|January 30, 2014
Summary
People may not get vaccinated if they see others are getting vaccinated, as they can benefit from herd immunity without personal risk. This "free-riding" behavior was observed in a study on hypothetical influenza vaccination decisions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Economics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Individual vaccination decisions are influenced by group behavior.
- Vaccination creates positive externalities, potentially leading to free-riding.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for disease control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate individual vaccination decision-making in a group context.
- To identify factors influencing vaccination acceptance, particularly social influences.
- To examine the prevalence of free-riding behavior in hypothetical vaccination scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a computerized experimental game simulating group interactions.
- Observed vaccination choices of individuals over multiple rounds.
- Analyzed the impact of group vaccination rates and individual exposure on personal decisions.
Main Results:
- Higher observed group vaccination rates decreased individual vaccination likelihood, indicating free-riding.
- Free-riding behavior persisted across different disease and vaccine parameters.
- Individual influenza exposure increased vaccination acceptance, while group prevalence did not significantly impact decisions when controlling for group vaccination rates.
Conclusions:
- Social influence and free-riding significantly impact vaccination decisions.
- Public health strategies may need to account for social dynamics to improve vaccine uptake.
- Further research into mitigating free-riding is warranted for effective disease prevention.
Related Concept Videos
01:51Vaccinations
44.1K
Overview
44.1K
01:12What is an Experiment?
12.3K
An experiment is a planned activity carried out under controlled conditions. The purpose of an experiment is to investigate the relationship between two variables. When one variable causes change in another, we call the first variable the explanatory or independent variable. The affected variable is called the response or dependent variable. In a randomized experiment, the researcher manipulates values of the explanatory variable and measures the resulting changes in the response variable. The...
12.3K
00:52Social Proof
24.9K
Social proof is a form of persuasion based on comparison and conformity. People compare their behavior and actions to what others are doing and will change to conform to do what their peers do.
24.9K
01:11Blinding
2.9K
Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
2.9K
01:08Obedience
26.2K
According to obedience research, we may harm others under the forceful pressures of an authority figure (Milgram, 1974). How about if the inappropriate orders were delivered with less force? The increasing interdependence between nurses and physicians compelled Hofling and his colleagues to explore nurses’ reactions to a potentially harmful medical request made by the perceived authority figure, the doctor (Hofling, Brotzman, Dalrymple, Graves, & Pierce, 1966). In this situation,...
26.2K
01:37Social Loafing
29.3K
Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated,...
29.3K