OB Research Seminar - Matthieu Jost, HEC Lausanne

Designing effective public health campaigns is crucial for governments grappling with significant public health challenges such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. While numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of incentive-based interventions in boosting vaccination uptake, less is understood about communication-based interventions. In partnership with the Médecin Cantonal Vaudois, we conducted two experiments during the pandemic and one thereafter to evaluate the impact of charismatic signaling on vaccination uptake. 

In the initial experiment, we developed and evaluated the effect of a communication-based intervention on perceived charisma and predicting vaccination intentions. In the second experiment, we implemented a communication campaign based on the findings from the first experiment and examined its influence on vaccination uptake. Due to the campaign coinciding with the relaxation of restrictions, data collection was halted. Consequently, we conducted a third experiment to assess the campaign's impact on predicting vaccination intentions, utilizing samples from both ORSEE and Prolific.

Overall, our findings revealed that while our intervention enhanced the perceived charisma of the speaker, we only observed a marginal effect on vaccination uptake. Moreover, our manipulation failed to bolster vaccination intentions. Notably, exploratory analyses indicated a decline in predicted vaccination intentions among women. These results and their implications will be discussed.