Understanding COVID-19 vaccination intention: the role of anticipated affective reactions

Background. The COVID-19 vaccine represents an essential resource to stop the pandemic, therefore it is crucial to identify the psychological factors that can promote the intention to get vaccinated. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of exposure to messages targeting cognitive attitude plus anticipated positive or negative affective reactions on the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Methods. Between November and December 2020, before the official approval of a vaccine against COVID-19, 484 Italian adults (F = 60.3%; Mage = 36.4 years) took part in an experimental study in which they were randomly allocated to one of the following conditions: 1) exposure to a message focused on cognitive attitude; 2) exposure to a message focused on cognitive attitude plus anticipated positive affect; 3) exposure to a message focused on cognitive attitude plus anticipated negative affect; 4) control group (no message exposure). Findings. MANOVA showed that participants exposed to a message focused on cognitive attitude plus anticipated positive affect reported greater intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 compared with those in the control group. In addition, a parallel mediation analysis indicated that the effect of the experimental condition on intention was significantly mediated by both cognitive attitude and anticipated positive affect, even if the effect was stronger for attitude. Discussion. These findings suggest that future COVID-19 vaccination campaigns could take great advantage of implementing persuasive messages targeting both cognitive and affective factors.