Risk Perception and Behaviour Change, COVID-19: Socializing rebounded after partial vaccination; after full vaccination, communal activities recovered; however, the propensity for protective behaviours declined

Jia, Jayson S., Yun Yuan, Jianmin Jia, and Nicholas Christakis. 2022. “Risk Perception and Behaviour Change After Personal Vaccination for COVID-19 in the USA.” PsyArXiv. January 30. psyarxiv.com/afyv8

Abstract: Although vaccines are crucial for giving pandemic-stricken societies the confidence to return to socioeconomic normalcy, vaccination may also induce laxity in personal protective behaviours (e.g., handwashing, facemask use). We use the quasi-experimental context of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout across the United States to quantify the impact of different stages of personal vaccination on people’s risk perceptions, daily activities, and risk mitigation behaviours, which we measure in a three-wave national panel study (N wave-1 = 7,358, N wave-2 = 3,000, N wave-3 = 2,345) from March to June, 2021, and validate using vaccination, infection, and human mobility data. Socializing rebounded after only partial vaccination. After full vaccination, communal activities recovered; however, the propensity for protective behaviours declined. The effects were heterogenous depending on vaccination level, demographics, and infection history. We further use a utility theory framework to model risk-value trade-offs and risk-construction for different behaviours.