Memory for Flu Facts and Myths and Effects on Vaccine Intentions

"Myths and Facts" About the Flu: Health Education Campaigns Can Reduce Vaccination Intentions

Objectives: To determine whether people systematically misremember the "myths" (false information) as true, and to assess effects on perceptions of risk and behavioral intentions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Influenza Vaccines
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Memory for truth

Detailed Description

Public information campaigns often warn people about false and unreliable medical claims by juxtaposing "myths" and "facts." The effectiveness of such communications has rarely been assessed. We assessed whether people systematically misremember the "myths" (false information) as true, and to assess effects on perceptions of risk and behavioral intentions.

In an experimental study, participants read either a published CDC flyer on "Facts and Myths" about the flu vaccine, or a "Facts Only" version; a separate control group read no flyer. Participants completed the outcome measures either immediately or after 30 minutes.

Primary measures were memory for information about the flu presented in the flyer, ratings of perceived risks associated with the flu, and personal intentions to get vaccinated in the upcoming season.

After a delay of 30 minutes, participants who read the "Facts and Myths" flyer systematically misremembered myths as facts. Both versions of the flyer had the immediate effect of increasing intentions to get a flu vaccine, compared to the control group. After 30 minutes, however, participants who read the "Facts and Myths" flyer reported lower intentions to get vaccinated, compared to those who read the same flyer with no delay, and compared to all participants who read the "Facts Only" flyer.

In sum, people show a bias to think that incompletely remembered information is true, turning "myths" into "facts." Hence public information campaigns should emphasize information that is true. Repeating false information, even as a warning, can create the unintended consequence of belief in the information.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 175
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3E6
      • Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
• United States
  • Michigan
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
      • University of Michigan

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 26 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be able to read and write fluent English

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Educational/Counseling/Training
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: Double

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Memory for truth of information in a flyer.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Intention to get flu vaccine in upcoming season.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Michigan
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ian Skurnik, PhD, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2005
• Study Completion: June 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2006
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2006
• First Posted (Estimate): February 24, 2006

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 24, 2006
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2006
• Last Verified: February 1, 2006

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: RIR13914