The association between vaccination status identification and societal polarization
Luca Henkel1, Philipp Sprengholz2,3, Lars Korn4,5,6
1Department of Economics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Social identity significantly drives COVID-19 vaccine polarization. Identifying with vaccination status predicts polarizing attitudes and behaviors, impacting public health policy responses.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Global discord between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals regarding COVID-19 has escalated.
- Intergroup relations theory suggests social identity influences perceptions and behaviors in intergroup conflict.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between vaccination status identification and societal polarization.
- To determine if social identity related to vaccination status predicts polarizing attitudes and behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Panel data collected from vaccinated (n=3,267) and unvaccinated (n=2,038) respondents in Germany and Austria between December 2021 and July 2022.
- Analysis of vaccination status identification (VSI) in relation to polarizing attitudes and behaviors.
- Examination of VSI's impact on psychological reactance and counter-behaviors among the unvaccinated.
Main Results:
- Vaccination status identification (VSI) significantly explains variance in polarizing attitudes and behaviors.
- VSI correlated with increased psychological reactance towards mandatory vaccination policies among the unvaccinated.
- Higher VSI levels narrowed the gap between intended and actual counter-behaviors over time for the unvaccinated.
Conclusions:
- Vaccination status identification is a key factor in understanding and predicting societal polarization related to COVID-19.
- VSI is a crucial metric for forecasting behavioral responses to vaccination policies.
- Findings highlight the role of social identity in public health contexts and policy adherence.
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