Does Science-Related Populism Impact Individuals’ Vaccination Campaign Evaluations? Evidence from an Austrian/German Survey
摘要
The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated that the decision against vaccination is often linked to political ideologies, which are disseminated by both national governments and political parties across a variety of media platforms. In this context, science-related populism has received increased attention. Science-related populism is a powerful construct and has been found to influence individuals’ attitudes towards vaccination; consequently, we also presume it to influence individual responses towards different vaccination campaigns. Results from an Austrian/German survey indicate that science-related populism indeed negatively influences selected antecedents of vaccination, while strengthening others. Apart from reporting results for COVID-19—a vaccination that is heavily discussed in the media—we also test whether this assumption applies to other vaccinations. In conclusion, limitations and directions for future research are presented.