Influenza messaging is better than no messaging at all : an experimental assessment of the effects of goal framing and affected-person framing on influenza vaccination attitudes and intentions

Abstract

Vaccination reduces viral transmission and protects unimmunized individuals against infection. However, current vaccine coverage among Singapore residents is below 20%. The framing of health messages plays a role in influencing perceptions about health issues. The persuasiveness of goal framing on preventive behaviors has been established in past research but its effect on vaccination is inconsistent, and highlighting recipients of health benefits or consequences was suggested to moderate framing effects. This experimental study introduces affected-person framing and draws on prospect theory to examine gain-loss framing with different affected individuals, furthering past research focused on health beneficiaries-gain-framed messages. Results found nonsignificant goal framing and affected-person framing effects on influenza vaccination attitudes and intentions. However, framed messages were found to bolster attitudes as compared to when there is no influenza vaccine communication. Effective influenza messages therefore may not need to be framed but to simply communicate about disease and vaccination.