The COVID-19 Pandemic and Vaccine Perceptions at George Mason University: A Formative Communication Study

Corinne Berry

Advisor: Gary L. Kreps, PhD, Department of Communication

Committee Members: Xiaoquan Zhao, Kevin Wright

Online Location, Online
July 31, 2023, 01:00 PM to 03:00 PM

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic and simultaneous “infodemic” have created unprecedented challenges for the healthcare system and public health communication. Vaccine hesitancy, while not a new phenomenon, became a household term early in 2021 with the advent and availability of the first COVID-19 vaccine. Universities, like George Mason, faced difficult decisions on how to adapt policy and classroom practices to keep the campus community as safe as possible. This mixed method dissertation is the result of three exploratory studies conducted with faculty, students, and staff to understand their lived experiences during the pandemic, and how communication may have shaped their attitudes, decisions, and behaviors related to vaccination. The research began with an exploratory online survey of the campus community (n=1,037) followed by focus group discussions (n=19) and in-depth interviews (n=12) with vaccine-hesitant students. The survey sought to answer broad questions about the level of prevailing knowledge, attitudes, and perceived risks among students, faculty, and staff while the focus group discussions and interviews explored the nuances of how vaccine hesitant students went about information seeking, decision-making, and their preferences for vaccine messages. The research instruments were informed by key constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior, Health Belief Model, and CAUSE model. The results highlight important gaps in understanding about COVID-19 vaccines and how information overload, decision fatigue, and exposure to misinformation may have played a role. Additionally, this study provided unique insight into how the vaccine hesitant students process vaccine information and communication strategies that may support trust building and vaccine confidence. While this dissertation was intended to be a formative communication case study focused on George Mason University, there are important theoretical and practical applications for the findings that may inform health communication practices more broadly. 

Keywords: college students; health communication; vaccine hesitancy; risk perceptions; misinformation; disinformation, infodemic, messaging; CAUSE mode