Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccination
Abstract Optimizing vaccine uptake is a public health challenge that requires the implementation of effective strategies. The asymmetric dominance (or decoy) effect describes the increasing likelihood of selecting an option when a clearly inferior alternative is offered. Therefore, we aimed to test...
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| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84853-8 |
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| author | Aikaterini Grimani Sandro T. Stoffel Christian von Wagner Falko F. Sniehotta Ivo Vlaev |
| author_facet | Aikaterini Grimani Sandro T. Stoffel Christian von Wagner Falko F. Sniehotta Ivo Vlaev |
| author_sort | Aikaterini Grimani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Optimizing vaccine uptake is a public health challenge that requires the implementation of effective strategies. The asymmetric dominance (or decoy) effect describes the increasing likelihood of selecting an option when a clearly inferior alternative is offered. Therefore, we aimed to test the impact of offering decoy alternatives—less convenient vaccination appointments—on vaccination intentions. Participants aged 18–33 years, residing in England, and initially not intending to get vaccinated, completed three online experiments. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental condition in each experiment. The asymmetrically dominated options were: an appointment in two weeks at a distant location (experiment 1); a later time at the participant’s local GP, pharmacy, or community centre (experiment 2); and a later time at a distant location (experiment 3). The primary outcome was vaccination intention, while secondary outcomes included an active interest in reading additional information about the vaccination procedure, perceived difficulty and cognitive effort. Initial analysis revealed no evidence of an asymmetric dominance effect. However, further subgroup analysis, supported by formative research, indicated that ensuring decoy alternatives are clearly perceived as inferior could enhance the effectiveness of this approach for certain individuals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a8bb7c2506b643cc9c73e45aa7ae37f5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-a8bb7c2506b643cc9c73e45aa7ae37f52025-01-12T12:17:32ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111010.1038/s41598-024-84853-8Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccinationAikaterini Grimani0Sandro T. Stoffel1Christian von Wagner2Falko F. Sniehotta3Ivo Vlaev4NIHR Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences - Behavioural Science Group, Warwick Business School, University of WarwickResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, UCLResearch Department of Behavioural Science and Health, UCLNIHR Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences - Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle UniversityNIHR Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences - Behavioural Science Group, Warwick Business School, University of WarwickAbstract Optimizing vaccine uptake is a public health challenge that requires the implementation of effective strategies. The asymmetric dominance (or decoy) effect describes the increasing likelihood of selecting an option when a clearly inferior alternative is offered. Therefore, we aimed to test the impact of offering decoy alternatives—less convenient vaccination appointments—on vaccination intentions. Participants aged 18–33 years, residing in England, and initially not intending to get vaccinated, completed three online experiments. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental condition in each experiment. The asymmetrically dominated options were: an appointment in two weeks at a distant location (experiment 1); a later time at the participant’s local GP, pharmacy, or community centre (experiment 2); and a later time at a distant location (experiment 3). The primary outcome was vaccination intention, while secondary outcomes included an active interest in reading additional information about the vaccination procedure, perceived difficulty and cognitive effort. Initial analysis revealed no evidence of an asymmetric dominance effect. However, further subgroup analysis, supported by formative research, indicated that ensuring decoy alternatives are clearly perceived as inferior could enhance the effectiveness of this approach for certain individuals.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84853-8Decision makingNudgeDecoy effectAsymmetric dominance effectVaccination hesitancyCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Aikaterini Grimani Sandro T. Stoffel Christian von Wagner Falko F. Sniehotta Ivo Vlaev Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccination Scientific Reports Decision making Nudge Decoy effect Asymmetric dominance effect Vaccination hesitancy COVID-19 |
| title | Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccination |
| title_full | Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccination |
| title_fullStr | Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccination |
| title_short | Using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge COVID-19 vaccination |
| title_sort | using an inferior decoy alternative to nudge covid 19 vaccination |
| topic | Decision making Nudge Decoy effect Asymmetric dominance effect Vaccination hesitancy COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84853-8 |
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