코로나19(COVID-19) 뉴스에 대한 위험지각과 백신 접종의향 : 수리 정보 제시방식과 개인 특성, 그리고 정서의 영향

The current study investigated whether people’s risk perception and vaccination intention differed when the format (frequency, percentage, rate, and presentation of additional information such as base frequency and narrative) of COVID-19 related numerical information news was changed. In addition, we examined whether demographic variables, vaccination-related variables, and personal traits such as numeracy and political positions had any impact on the effect of numerical information format on risk perception and vaccination intention. In Study 1, news articles about the adverse effects of vaccinations were presented, and base frequency and narrative were added to the percentage in addition to the two frequencies, percentage, and rate. In Study 2, reinfection-related news articles were presented, and base frequency was added to frequency and percentage, and narrative was added to frequency. As a result, in Study 1, there was no difference in risk perception and vaccination intention according to the information format. To address no difference in Study 1, in Study 2, one of the risk perception measures, the likelihood of reinfection, was measured differently from Study 1. In Study 1, the likelihood of side effect was measured using the 11-point scale with 10% interval, whereas in Study 2, participants were asked to write down the likelihood directly down to two decimal places. The scale employed in Study 1 may have an interval that is too wide to accurately capture minute variations in risk likelihood elicited by various number representations. When using the new measurement, the risk perception was lower when adding the base frequency of COVID-19 patients than it was when using percentage or rate, and it was greater when using frequency than it was when using percentage or rate. However, there was no difference in the vaccination intention.
According to the results of the additional analysis, in Study 1, it was found that the risk perception of side effects had a positive effect on the vaccination intention through fear of side effects as a mediator. In addition, the political position moderated the negative effect of risk perception on the vaccination intention. That is, the more progressive the political position, the lower the fear and risk perception of vaccination and the higher the vaccination intention. In Study 2, it was found that the severity of past experiences, such as COVID-19 symptoms and vaccine side effects, had a positive effect on the vaccination intention through risk perception of reinfection and fear of COVID. And it was found that the higher the numeracy, the lower the risk perception, fear of COVID and vaccination. Finally, the implications of this study for health communication related to COVID-19 were discussed.