As long as it circulates, we've got to keep fighting: COVID-19 and the motivation to get vaccinated

OBJECTIVE: The first purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between goal-directed motivation and vaccination behavior. The second purpose was to find ways to motivate people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and infectious diseases in general. RATIONALE: According to regulatory focus theory, goal-directed behavior is regulated by two motivational systems – prevention and promotion. Prevention-focused behavior is motivated by needs for security and safety, and it is associated with a strategic preference for vigilant means of goal-pursuit. Promotion-focused behavior is motivated by needs for self-development and growth, and it is associated with a strategic preference for eagerness means. Based on regulatory focus theory, this research examined the proposal that motivation in goal-pursuit and self-regulatory processes would play a central role in shaping vaccination intention and behavior. METHOD: Two studies tested the relationship between participants’ self-reported intention to get vaccinated and regulatory focus. In Study 1, regulatory focus was measured as a chronic variable. In Study 2, regulatory focus was experimentally induced. RESULTS: Study 1 showed that chronic prevention focus moderated the relationship between vaccine safety concerns and vaccination intention. The higher the concerns about vaccine safety, the lower was the probability of expressing an intention to get vaccinated, and the stronger the prevention focus the stronger was the effect. Moreover, vaccine safety concerns mediated the relationship between chronic promotion focus and vaccination intention. The stronger the promotion focus, the lower was the concern over vaccine safety, and thus the higher was the probability of expressing an intention to get vaccinated. In Study 2, a situationally induced regulatory focus moderated the relationship between vaccination intention and vaccine safety concerns. As concerns about vaccine safety decreased, the intention to get vaccinated increased, and the effect was stronger for prevention compared with promotion focus. Implications for public health and health communication are discussed.