Exposure to humorous memes about anti-vaxxers boosts intention to get a COVID-19 vaccine, study finds

The experimental group viewed a series of eight vaccination-related internet memes that had been collected by researchers using Google Image Search, and the control group viewed control images. While the memes varied slightly depending on the study, the majority of them expressed sarcasm toward anti-vaxxers.

After viewing the images, participants were asked whether they intended to get vaccinated against COVID-19. A combined analysis of all six studies revealed that exposure to the vaccine memes increase participants’ intentions to get vaccinated, even after accounting for gender, age, and political orientation.

Interestingly, although the effect was robust, it appeared to weaken once the vaccine was nearing release. The first three studies were conducted between August and October 2020, prior to the announcement of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, while the next three studies took place in November 2020, following the announcement. When comparing the findings from the first three studies to the last three, the effect of exposure to the memes on vaccine intention was weaker after the vaccine was announced.