N/A Completed N=100 Randomized Single-blind Other

Does Framing and Humor Improve the Effectiveness of Messages About COVID-19 Vaccine

Beliefs

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05085613 ↗

Enrolled (actual)

100

Serious AEs

0.0%

Results posted

Aug 2023

Primary outcomePrimary: Change in Accuracy of the Belief That FDA Authorized COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe and Effective — 20.1; 22.8; 24.2; 22.7 score on a 0-100 scale — p=0.998

Summary

This study seeks to assess the efficacy of educational messages to correct misperceptions. People hold a number of misperceptions that are relevant to public health, including misperceptions regarding COVID vaccines. Some people incorrectly think the COVID vaccines authorized by FDA are not safe or effective. These misperceptions can reduce adherence to public health recommendations and result in continued spread of COVID. This study will test if humor and different types of framing increase the efficacy of messages to correct misperceptions about FDA's authorized coronavirus vaccine safety and effectiveness. The frames tested will include: framing the vaccine as a way to boost economic recovery and framing the vaccine as a way to increase freedom to choose how to behave. The addition of humor will also be tested. Message efficacy will be measured via improved accuracy of beliefs after being exposed to the message. In other words, participants will be asked how safe and effective FDA authorized COVID vaccines are before seeing a message, then they will see a message about why the COVID vaccines are safe and effective, and then they will again be asked how safe and effective they think the vaccines are. This study will also assess the accuracy of inferential beliefs. This will be accomplished by asking participants questions about other vaccines that either are or are not authorized by FDA. If participants have understood the messages and updated their mental models of how FDA evaluates vaccines, they should be able to infer if other vaccines are safe and effective based on their FDA authorization status. Hypotheses H1: Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will be more likely to increase their agreement with the statement that the FDA will only authorize coronavirus vaccines that are safe and effective after message exposure than participants exposed to the control condition. H2: Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will agree more strongly with the statement that the FDA approved flu vaccine is safe and effective after message exposure than participants exposed to the control condition. H3. Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will agree more strongly with the statement that the ResVax vaccine, which was not approved by the FDA for the treatment of RSV, is a safe and effective after message exposure than participants exposed to the control condition. H4. Participants who are exposed to A.) a message with humor, B.) a message with an economic recovery fame, or C.) a message with a freedom frame will be more likely to increase behavioral intentions to get an FDA authorized COVID vaccine after message exposure than participants exposed to the control condition.

Outcome Measures

Outcome	Result	p-value
PRIMARY Change in Accuracy of the Belief That FDA Authorized COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe and Effective	20.1; 22.8; 24.2; 22.7	0.998
PRIMARY Accuracy of Inferential Belief That the FDA Authorized Flu Vaccine is Safe and Effective	37.074074; 44.666667; 49.583333; 50.954545	0.813
PRIMARY Accuracy of Inferential Belief That RexVax is Safe and Effective	14.923077; 14.24; 12.47619; 23.863636	0.994
PRIMARY Change in Intention to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine	15.925926; 9.4814815; 9.625; 12.863636	0.113

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Are 21 years of age or older.
Have not participated in the cognitive interview.
Have not yet received a COVID vaccine.
Are registered with MTurk in the United States.
Have completed >= 5, 000 HIITs within the MTurk system
Have a HIIT approval rating of >= 97%
Rate their agreement with the following statement as less than or equal to 50 out of 100: "To what extent do you agree with the following: "The FDA only authorizes COVID vaccines that are safe and effective."

Exclusion Criteria

Are younger than 21 years of age
Participated in the cognitive interviews
Have already received a COVID vaccine.
Are not registered with MTurk in the US
Have completed < 5,000 HIITS
Have a HIIT approval rating of <97%
Rate their agreement with the following statement as greater than 50 out of 100: "To what extent do you agree with the following: "The FDA only authorizes COVID vaccines that are safe and effective."

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05085613). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication. Informational only — not medical advice.