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We test for whether susceptibility to save/loss frames differs in the United States in the classic disease outbreak scenario by randomly changing information about the disease origin. Under dual process theory, individuals have two modes of decision-making, a slow, methodical, rational mode and a quick process that relies on heuristics and can result in cognitive biases. Heightened emotions can trigger individuals to move from the first to the second state. We hypothesize that the greater degree of unfamiliarity will induce fear and increase the susceptibility to framing bias.

We will test for differences in the trust in COVID-19 public health recommendations and intention to follow recommendations across 5 different public institutions.

We will test for differences in intention to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in the United States after receiving messages under two different (positive) frames. One frame varies whether the message emphasized the effect on the individual versus the effect on the public/others. The second variation randomizes whether the message is about health versus individual freedoms/economic activity. Finally, for each of these four combinations of possible messages, the messenger will vary between two partisan figures and one public health figure.

We will test for whether partisanship affects perceptions of risk to self and risk to the population for COVID-19 infections, three different characterizations of terrorist attacks, and floods.

At the time of the survey there are three COVID vaccines approved for use in the United States, with varying degrees of efficacy, convenience, and safety levels (side effects). It is unknown whether the public will have preferences for one of the vaccines over the other, but there are concerns that one vaccine may be viewed as inferior to the others. If there are differences in acceptance of one or another vaccine among subgroups of the population, officials should tailor the distribution of the vaccines to groups with higher acceptance of each type, all else equal.