The effects of information framing on self-protective behavior: Evidence from the COVID-19 vaccine uptake

OBJECTIVES: The Healthy China 2030 strategy outlines the government's plans for healthcare reform, emphasizing the need for increased awareness about infectious diseases to prevent and fight future infections. Information campaigns can be used as a medium to raise awareness and encourage citizens’ willingness to protect themselves against diseases, such as COVID-19. Extant studies have found that individual health behavior decision-making can be changed under different information frames. However, limited evidence is available about emerging infectious diseases. Based on the Prospect Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior, the impact of information frames on self-protective behavior—vaccination against COVID-19 is investigated in this study. METHODS: A 2(gain/loss frame)*2(factual/emotional frame) intergroup experimental design was designed to explore the effects of different information frames. 228 valid participants in China were recruited and the experiment was performed online. RESULTS: First, the gain frame was more effective in promoting public self-protection behavior than the loss frame under information frame intervention. Compared with the factual frame, the emotional frame is more effective in reducing individual risk perception. Second, perceptual behavior control has masking effects on self-protection behavior under the influence of the gain/loss frame. Third, age, subjective norms, attitudes, and the gain frame, have predictive effects on self-protection behavior. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides empirical evidence on the impact of information framing interventions on public self-protection behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides important practical implications for public administrators and media practitioners.