A study published in the journal Vaccine provides the first rigorous look at how our attitudes towards vaccines (here: the flu vaccine) are shaped by online forces. University of Konstanz psychologists from both DFG Clusters of Excellence--"Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" and "The Politics of Inequality"--led the research, which also included scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the University of Erfurt.
In a departure from similar studies that rely on observational data, the current study used experimental manipulation to directly measure polarization in the transmission of vaccination risk information in online communication chains. Their findings show that, contrary to expectations, existing vaccination beliefs are very resilient to radicalization, even to the point of being immune to any influence at all. The results have important implications for public health, suggesting that successful health communication should particularly target those who have not yet made up their mind.
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Read the full story in the University of Konstanz's online magazine, campus.kn, after the embargo ends: http://www.campus.uni-konstanz.de/en/science/immune-to-influence
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