IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/28593.html

Experimental Evidence on the Effectiveness of Non-Experts for Improving Vaccine Demand

Author

Listed:
  • Marcella Alsan
  • Sarah Eichmeyer

Abstract

We experimentally vary signals and senders to identify which combination will increase vaccine demand among a disadvantaged population in the United States – Black and White men without a college education. Our main finding is that laypeople (non-expert concordant senders) are most effective at promoting vaccination, particularly among those least willing to become vaccinated. This finding points to a trade-off between the higher qualifications of experts on the one hand, but lower social proximity to low socio-economic status populations on the other hand, which may undermine credibility in settings of low trust.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcella Alsan & Sarah Eichmeyer, 2021. "Experimental Evidence on the Effectiveness of Non-Experts for Improving Vaccine Demand," NBER Working Papers 28593, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28593
    Note: EH
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w28593.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anderson, Michael L., 2008. "Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 103(484), pages 1481-1495.
    2. Ejis, 2017. "Table of Contents," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bucharest Economic Academy, issue 01, March.
    3. Stefano DellaVigna & Devin Pope, 2018. "Predicting Experimental Results: Who Knows What?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(6), pages 2410-2456.
    4. Eichengreen, Barry & Aksoy, Cevat Giray & Saka, Orkun, 2021. "Revenge of the experts: Will COVID-19 renew or diminish public trust in science?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    5. Benjamin R. Handel & Jonathan T. Kolstad, 2015. "Health Insurance for "Humans": Information Frictions, Plan Choice, and Consumer Welfare," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(8), pages 2449-2500, August.
    6. Ejis, 2018. "Table of Contents," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bucharest Economic Academy, issue 02, June.
    7. Milkman, Katherine L. & Beshears, John Leonard & Choi, James J. & Laibson, David I. & Madrian, Brigitte, 2011. "Using Implementation Intentions Prompts to Enhance Influenza Vaccination Rates," Scholarly Articles 8057976, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    8. Ejis, 2017. "Table of Contents," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bucharest Economic Academy, issue 02, June.
    9. Ejis, 2018. "Table of Contents," European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bucharest Economic Academy, issue 01, March.
    10. David S. Lee, 2009. "Training, Wages, and Sample Selection: Estimating Sharp Bounds on Treatment Effects," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 76(3), pages 1071-1102.
    11. Paola Sapienza & Luigi Zingales, 2013. "Economic Experts versus Average Americans," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(3), pages 636-642, May.
    12. Benjamin Handel & Joshua Schwartzstein, 2018. "Frictions or Mental Gaps: What's Behind the Information We (Don't) Use and When Do We Care?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 32(1), pages 155-178, Winter.
    13. Journal of Food Distribution Research, 2018. "Table of Contents," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 49(2), July.
    14. Marcella Alsan & Owen Garrick & Grant Graziani, 2019. "Does Diversity Matter for Health? Experimental Evidence from Oakland," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(12), pages 4071-4111, December.
    15. Keith Marzilli Ericson & Justin Sydnor, 2017. "The Questionable Value of Having a Choice of Levels of Health Insurance Coverage," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(4), pages 51-72, Fall.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michelle Tew & Philip Clarke & Karin Thursky & Kim Dalziel, 2019. "Incorporating Future Medical Costs: Impact on Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Cancer Patients," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 37(7), pages 931-941, July.
    2. Elizabeth Wehler & Natalie Boytsov & Claudia Nicolay & Oscar Herrera-Restrepo & Stacey Kowal, 2020. "A Budget Impact and Cost Per Additional Responder Analysis for Baricitinib for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis in Patients with an Inadequate Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in the USA," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 39-56, January.
    3. Joseph P. Newhouse, 2021. "An Ounce of Prevention," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 35(2), pages 101-118, Spring.
    4. Giulia Buccione, 2026. "Can Culture Guide Policy? Religious Messaging and Adaptation to Water Scarcity in Jordan," Working Papers wp2026_2613, CEMFI.
    5. Benjamin R. Handel & Jonathan T. Kolstad, 2021. "The Affordable Care Act After a Decade: Industrial Organization of the Insurance Exchanges," NBER Working Papers 29178, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Michelle Giles & Laura Graham & Jean Ball & Jennie King & Wendy Watts & Alison Harris & Christopher Oldmeadow & Rod Ling & Michelle Paul & Anthony O’Brien & Vicki Parker & John Wiggers & Maralyn Foure, 2020. "Implementation of a multifaceted nurse‐led intervention to reduce indwelling urinary catheter use in four Australian hospitals: A pre‐ and postintervention study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5-6), pages 872-886, March.
    7. Hoffmann, Manuel & Mosquera, Roberto & Chadi, Adrian, 2019. "Vaccines at Work," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203661, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Karlsson, Ida & Rootzén, Johan & Johnsson, Filip, 2020. "Reaching net-zero carbon emissions in construction supply chains – Analysis of a Swedish road construction project," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    9. Nareen O. M. Salim & Adnan Mohsin Abdulazeez, 2021. "Human Diseases Detection Based On Machine Learning Algorithms: A Review," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 5(2), pages 102-113.
    10. Nikolaj Kaae Kirk & Clara Navarrete & Jakob Ellegaard Juhl & José Luis Martínez & Alessandra Procentese, 2021. "The “Zero Miles Product” Concept Applied to Biofuel Production: A Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-19, January.
    11. Joseph P. Newhouse, 2023. "The Design of the RAND Health Insurance Experiment: A Retrospective," Evaluation Review, , vol. 47(1), pages 11-42, February.
    12. Delavande, Adeline & Shahab, Areeba & Younas, Javed & Zafar, Basit, 2026. "Improving childhood immunization through maternal support: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Pakistan," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    13. Alves, Luís & Holz, Laura I.V. & Fernandes, Celina & Ribeirinha, Paulo & Mendes, Diogo & Fagg, Duncan P. & Mendes, Adélio, 2022. "A comprehensive review of NOx and N2O mitigation from industrial streams," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    14. Ida Karlsson & Johan Rootzén & Alla Toktarova & Mikael Odenberger & Filip Johnsson & Lisa Göransson, 2020. "Roadmap for Decarbonization of the Building and Construction Industry—A Supply Chain Analysis Including Primary Production of Steel and Cement," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-40, August.
    15. Hirmer, S.A. & George-Williams, H. & Rhys, J. & McNicholl, D. & McCulloch, M., 2021. "Stakeholder decision-making: Understanding Sierra Leone's energy sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    16. Amarzaya Jadambaa & Nicholas Graves & Donna Cross & Rosana Pacella & Hannah J. Thomas & James G. Scott & Qinglu Cheng & David Brain, 2022. "Economic Evaluation of an Intervention Designed to Reduce Bullying in Australian Schools," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 79-89, January.
    17. Charles Engel & Steve Pak Yeung Wu, 2023. "Liquidity and Exchange Rates: An Empirical Investigation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(5), pages 2395-2438.
    18. Martin Gaynor & Kate Ho & Robert J. Town, 2015. "The Industrial Organization of Health-Care Markets," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(2), pages 235-284, June.
    19. Dieu Linh Hoang & Chris Davis & Henri C. Moll & Sanderine Nonhebel, 2020. "Can Multiple Uses of Biomass Limit the Feedstock Availability for Future Biogas Production? An Overview of Biogas Feedstocks and Their Alternative Uses," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    20. Michelle Giles & Laura Graham & Jean Ball & Wendy Watts & Jennie King & Kamana Bantawa & Michelle Paul & Alison Harris & Anthony Paul O'Brien & Vicki Parker, 2019. "Variations in indwelling urinary catheter use in four Australian acute care hospitals," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(23-24), pages 4572-4581, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28593. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.