Rather than inducing psychological reactance, requiring vaccination strengthens intentions to vaccinate in US populations

Abstract

In a survey and three experiments (one preregistered with a nationally representative sample), we examined if vaccination requirements are likely to backfire, as commonly feared. We investigated if relative to encouraging free choice in vaccination, requiring a vaccine weakens or strengthens vaccination intentions, both in general and among individuals with a predisposition to experience psychological reactance. In the four studies, compared to free choice, requirements strengthened vaccination intentions across racial and ethnic groups, across studies, and across levels of trait psychological reactance. The results consistently suggest that fears of a backlash against vaccine mandates may be unfounded and that requirements will promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the United States.

Comparative effectiveness of mandates and financial policies targeting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A randomized, controlled survey experiment

“…Despite arguments (discussed above) that that employer mandates and financial incentives are likely to decrease the proportion of a population that wants to vaccinate, the current data suggest that this is unlikely. Compared to the low base rate of the control group, neither policy decreased the proportion that would want to vaccinate, which is consistent with results from prior studies that examined COVID-19 vaccine mandates [5] or financial incentives [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [27] . Instead, employer mandates and financial incentives had positive psychological effects, increasing the proportion that wanted to vaccinate.…”

“…According to the theory called psychological reactance, people may resist a requirement they perceive as curtailing their freedom [3] , [4] . Although there are few empirical tests relevant to COVID-19 vaccination mandates, the evidence does not appear to support this concern [5] .…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: The Role of Information Sources and Beliefs in Dutch Adults

“…One strategy could be a mandatory vaccination requirement for the general public. Albarracin and colleagues found that such a strategy did not result in a backlash against vaccination in the United States [ 71 ]. Whether similar findings can be reported in reality and in other countries needs further analysis.…”

The unintended consequences of COVID-19 vaccine policy: why mandates, passports and restrictions may cause more harm than good

“…Although studies suggest that current policies are likely to increase population-level vaccination rates to some degree,36–39 gains were largest in those under 30 years old (a very low-risk group) and in countries with below average uptake 36. Moreover, insights from behavioural psychology suggest that these policies are likely to entrench distrust and provoke reactance —a motivation to counter an unreasonable threat to one’s freedom.…”