Kind Enough to Vax? Decoding the Relationship Between Prosociality and COVID-19 Vaccination Intent in American Adults

Abstract

Vaccination is considered a prosocial behavior, protecting both the individual and society at large. However, many Americans choose to remain unvaccinated for multiple reasons relating mainly to religious and personal autonomy. To assess individual readiness for COVID-19 vaccination, this quantitative study includes a survey of a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States (n = 992) to explore willingness to engage in vaccination as a prosocial behavior. This study operationalizes prosocial behavior using the indicators empathic concern, monetary donations, and volunteering as predictors. Using ordinal and logistic regression models, the findings indicate that individual prosocial behavior is positively associated with vaccination and vaccination intent. Further, findings show that COVID-19 vaccination is positively correlated with the demographics of age, income, and education level, demonstrating that older adults (over 65), individuals with higher incomes, and the college-educated have higher vaccination intent. Vaccination intent was found to be the highest among African-Americans who were twice as likely to be vaccinated, and lowest among female participants.