Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Neuroscientific Protocol

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Vaccine hesitancy (VH) presents a major public health challenge, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Existing research focuses on psychological and socio-political factors, neglecting psychophysiological mechanisms.
• This study investigates the neurophysiological and affective processes associated with VH, guided by the Somatic Marker Hypothesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neurophysiological and affective mechanisms underlying vaccine hesitancy.
• To examine sensorimotor resonance and affective responses to vaccination-related stimuli.
• To explore the relationship between psychological traits and vaccine hesitancy.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Recorded motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and facial electromyographic (EMG) activity in response to vaccination and blood-related imagery.
• Experiment 2: Measured skin conductance response (SCR) during a virtual reality fear conditioning and extinction paradigm.
• Assessed psychological traits including disgust sensitivity, paranoia, anxiety, and dogmatism.

Main Results:

• Hypothesize altered sensorimotor resonance in vaccine-hesitant individuals.
• Anticipate heightened affective responses (disgust, fear) to vaccination stimuli.
• Expect impaired fear extinction learning in vaccine-hesitant participants.

Conclusions:

• Identifying psychophysiological mechanisms of VH is crucial for public health.
• Findings will inform the development of targeted vaccine promotion strategies.
• This research addresses a critical gap in understanding vaccine hesitancy.