A virtual assistant can persuade you to get vaccinated against the flu. Online dialogue as a tool of social influence in promoting vaccinations

Agnieszka Kozłowska, Tomasz Grzyb and Dariusz Doliński

Social Science & Medicine, 2025, vol. 369, issue C

Abstract: Declining acceptance of vaccinations poses a severe challenge to public health. This study delves into the effectiveness of online dialogue in shaping vaccination attitudes amidst this concerning trend. In today's digital age, utilizing the Internet for public health interventions seems crucial. We developed the FLORA application to engage users in health discussions through a conversational agent and tested it in two experiments. The first (N = 903) assessed the impact of online dialogue on vaccine willingness, while the second (N = 870) included a direct vaccination request. The results revealed a noticeable increase in vaccination intention among participants engaged in the interactive dialogue ending with a request. These findings highlight the potential of online dialogue to convey information about vaccines and support healthcare efforts effectively.

Keywords: Online dialogue; Conversational agent; Social influence; Healthcare support; Vaccine hesitancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:369:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625001546

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117825

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