Psychological influences on COVID-19 preventive behaviours and vaccination engagement in the United Kingdom and the United States: the significance of ethnicity

Abstract: Two studies are reported here: a mapping review of literature on the effect of ethnicity on psychological influences upon COVID-19 responses, and a survey simultaneously undertaken in the United Kingdom and United States designed to examine ethnic differences in levels of, and in relationships between, identity resilience, social support, science trust, COVID-19 fear, COVID-19 risk and vaccination likelihood. The review found that very few studies during 2020–2021 examined the effect of ethnicity on the psychological influences on COVID-19 preventive behaviours. The survey study found that science trust, vaccine positivity, perceived risk, COVID-19 fear, identity resilience and social support account for roughly 50 per cent of the variability in COVID-19 vaccination likelihood. Ethnic categories report different levels of these influences but similarity in the way they interact. Taken together, the results indicate that a single model of psychological influences on vaccination decisions is applicable across ethnic categories.

Keywords: ethnic differences, COVID-19 fear, COVID-19 risk, COVID-19 vaccination likelihood, vaccine positivity, identity resilience, social support, science trust

Article posted to the Journal of the British Academy, volume 11, supplementary issue 5 (Social Representation and Identity Processes in Relation to COVID-19 Reactions)