COVID-19 health certification reduces outgroup bias: evidence from a conjoint experiment in Japan

Yoshiaki Kubo () and Isamu Okada
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Yoshiaki Kubo: University of the Ryukyus
Isamu Okada: Nagoya University

Palgrave Communications, 2022, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The psychological theory argues that serious threats cause negative attitudes from ingroups to outgroups. However, the factors that can reduce such outgroup bias caused by the health threats of a pandemic are unknown. Here, we provide evidence that health certifications to prove immunity or negative test result for COVID-19 reduce outgroup bias. Using a discrete choice experiment with a randomized conjoint design in Japan, we investigated public attitudes towards inbound travelers entering the country, including foreigners, immigrants, and tourists. We found that travelers carrying a vaccination certificate or a negative test result for COVID-19 have a higher probability or rating of being admitted to the country. These effects are the same size as those for travelers undergoing self-isolation. Thus, our results demonstrate that health certification can mitigate outgroup bias among ingroup members experiencing threats to health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We anticipate that the findings would support the combined usage of vaccine passports and negative certificates to reopen the international borders.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01324-z

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