Selective exposure to COVID-19 vaccination information: the influence of prior attitude, perceived threat level and information limit

PurposeThe massive amount of available information and functionality of the Internet makes selective information seeking effortless. This paper aims to understand the selective exposure to information during a health decision-making task.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted an experiment with a sample of 36 students to examine the influence of prior attitude, perceived threat level and information limit on users’ selective exposure to and recall of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination information. Participants were assigned to two conditions with or without an upper limit of the number of articles to be examined, and this study collected the number of articles read, the number of articles included in the report and recall score of the articles after one day of the experiment.FindingsThis study found that (1) participants with a negative attitude were more inclined to view attitude-consistent information and recalled attitude-consistent information more accurately, while participants with a positive attitude viewed more balanced information; (2) participants perceiving higher health threat level recalled attitude-consistent information more accurately; and (3) an upper limit on the number of articles to be viewed does not have any impact on selective exposure.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this paper pinpoint the disparity of influence of positive and negative attitudes on selective exposure to and selective recall of health information, which was not previously recognized.Practical implicationsVaccination campaigns should focus on reaching people with negative attitudes who are more prone to selective exposure to encourage them to seek more balanced information.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to explore selective exposure to COVID-19 vaccination information. This study found that people with a negative attitude and a higher level of perceived health threat are more prone to selective exposure, which was not found in previous research.

A Quality Assessment of Online Patient Information Regarding Rhinoplasty

There is a large demand for online patient information for patients considering rhinoplasty. While there are many resources available, the quality and content of the information provided are unknown. This study aimed to assess the quality of the most popular information available online, using the “Ensuring Quality Information for Patients” (EQIP) tool to evaluate the content, structure, and readability of patient information on websites. Search terms including nose operation, nose job, nose reshaping, nose tip surgery, rhinoplasty, septorhinoplasty, were identified using Google AdWords and Trends. Unique links from the first 10 pages for each term were identified and evaluated with websites written in English and for general non-medical public use were included. 295 websites met the eligibility criteria with a median overall EQIP score of 17. Only 33% contained balanced information on the risks and benefits. Bleeding and infection risk was only mentioned in 29% and 27% of websites, respectively. Two percent described complication rates of the procedures and only 20% of articles explained further surgery may be required to achieve patient cosmetic or functional satisfaction. Information regarding rhinoplasty available online is currently of poor quality. The lack of effective risk counselling, possible outcome management, and complications may likely lead to unrealistic expectations of rhinoplasty. It is crucial the risks of surgery are communicated to the patient to ensure they can make an informed decision. Improved education through online resources would likely help to promote more realistic patient expectations.

Providing Balanced Information about Options in Patient Decision Aids: An Update from the International Patient Decision Aid Standards

Background The objective of this International Patient Decision Aids Standard (IPDAS) review is to update and synthesize theoretical and empirical evidence on how balanced information can be presented and measured in patient decision aids (PtDAs). Methods A multidisciplinary team conducted a scoping review using 2 search strategies in multiple electronic databases evaluating the ways investigators defined and measured the balance of information provided about options in PtDAs. The first strategy combined a search informed by the Cochrane Review of the Effectiveness of Decision Aids with a search on balanced information. The second strategy repeated the search published in the 2013 IPDAS update on balanced presentation. Results Of 2450 unique citations reviewed, the full text of 168 articles was screened for eligibility. Sixty-four articles were included in the review, of which 13 provided definitions of balanced presentation, 8 evaluated mechanisms that may introduce bias, and 42 quantitatively measured balanced with methods consistent with the IPDAS criteria in PtDAs. The revised definition of balanced information is, “Objective, complete, salient, transparent, evidence-informed, and unbiased presentation of text and visual information about the condition and all relevant options (with important elements including the features, benefits, harms and procedures of those options) in a way that does not favor one option over another and enables individuals to focus attention on important elements and process this information.” Conclusions Developers can increase the balance of information in PtDAs by informing their structure and design elements using the IPDAS checklist. We suggest that new PtDA components pertaining to balance be evaluated for cognitive bias with experimental methods as well by objectively evaluating patients’ and content experts’ beliefs from multiple perspectives.

Content of Antenatal Education and Modalities of Delivery among Nurses in Oyo State, Nigeria

Background: There is no structured content and modalities for the delivery of antenatal education in Nigerian healthcare institutions. Hence, the lack of knowledge on salient issues that are pivotal to survival of mothers and their babies among childbearing women. This study assessed the contents and mode of delivery of antenatal education from the perspective of care providers. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted using structured questionnaire developed by the researchers for data collection. One hundred and ten nurses were recruited across various healthcare institutions in Oyo state, Nigeria to participate in the study. Results: The mean age of the nurses is 39.7 with standard deviation of 10.1. About half (43.6%) of them have first degree in Nursing, while one-third (31.8%) are at the lower cadre of Nursing (Nursing officer II). The most common five topics taught by the nurses as reported are; hygiene (98.2%), diet (84.6%), immunization (31.8%), birth preparedness (31.8%), and breastfeeding (28.2%). The most common mode of delivery is face-to-face teaching (98.2%) while e-teaching is least employed (20.9%). Pictures (87.3%) and posters (79.1%) are the most common materials used for teaching while majority (72.7%) provide fliers as teaching materials to their clients. Majority (98.2%) of the nurses’ state that they provide antenatal education to serve as learning forum for their clients, however, very few (17.3%) stated that they provide antenatal education to keep their clients busy while waiting for doctor’s consultation. Conclusion: There is no structured content for antenatal education being offered to pregnant women during antenatal clinic. However, every pregnant woman attending antenatal clinic will benefit from balanced information that will enhance positive pregnancy outcome from her care provider. Hence the need for structured content and modalities of delivery of antenatal education in Nigeria.

Can I Stick to My Guns? Motivated Reasoning and Biased Processing of Balanced Political Information

News media offer balanced political messages and many citizens also seek content that presents two sides of a political issue. Despite this supply and demand, most work on information processing tests exposure to one-sided content, i.e., either pro- or counter-attitudinal. We advance this work by studying (1) how balanced and one-sided messages affect information processing; (2) whether the processing of balanced information is moderated by individual motivations; and (3) the impact of balanced exposure on attitude polarization. Using an online experiment (N = 677), we primed either accuracy or defensive motivation and examined how participants processed information about two distinct issues (i.e., climate change and Syrian refugees). On both issues, participants were less biased in response to balanced content, compared to one-sided content. In addition, defensive and accuracy motivated people processed balanced content in a similar manner. Furthermore, pro-attitudinal content polarized individual attitudes, but not balanced content, and this effect was not moderated by motivation.

How skeptics could be convinced (not persuaded) to get vaccinated against COVID-19

Central to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic strategy, COVID-19 vaccination depends on the population’s uptake decisions. Because at least 60% of the population needs to be vaccinated, but fewer, for example, in Germany are expected to do so, it is important to know how to convince those who are undecided or skeptical. According to the health care standard of enabling citizens to make informed decisions based on balanced information (boosting) – instead of persuasion or seduction (nudging) – a comparison of benefits and harms of having or not having the vaccination would be required to inform these groups. With the help of a representative survey, we investigated the contribution of fact boxes, an established intervention format for informed intentions. Study 1 shows the development of knowledge and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccinations by German citizens between Nov 2020 and Feb 2021. Study 2 reveals objective information needs and subjective information requirements of those laypeople at the end of Nov. Study 3 shows that the fact box format is effective for risk communication about COVID-19. Based on these insights, a fact box on the efficacy and safety of mRNA-vaccines was implemented with the help of a national health authority. Study 4 shows that fact boxes increase vaccination knowledge and positive evaluations of the benefit-harm ratio of vaccination in skeptics and undecideds. Our results demonstrate that simple fact boxes can be an effective boost of informed decision making among undecided and skeptical people, and that informed decisions can lead to more positive vaccination evaluations of the public.

Profesionalisme Jurnalis TV di Era Disruptif Media (Studi Kasus Jurnalis Celebes TV Kota Makassar)

This study aims to determine the level of professionalism among television celebrity journalists in the age of media disruption. The research method used is qualitatively descriptive. with a case study approach, namely the research carried out that is focused on a particular case and needs to be carefully observed and analyzed to completion. The results of this study show that Celebes television journalists, in performing their duties and jobs as press representatives, understand methods of reporting and presenting news based on the objectivity of data and in accordance with the facts in the field. The professionalism of journalistic work is highly valued in the current era of disruption, always referring to the press law and adhering to the journalistic code of ethics. Celebes television journalists are able to provide accurate, balanced information to sources by reviewing data and reflecting on different perspectives or news angles in an event.Keywords: Journalist, Professionalism, Disruption, Celebes Tv, Journalistic Code of Ethics

ANALISIS KINERJA DAN KEBUTUHAN PETANI GARAM DI KABUPATEN PAMEKASAN SEBAGAI DASAR PENGEMBANGAN DESAIN MODEL SOCIAL LEARNING

Model social learning merupakan suatu pendekatan menggunakan teori observational learning. Model ini telah digunakan oleh Dinas Perikanan Kabupaten Pamekasan untuk meningkatkan kualitas sumber daya manusia. Sayangnya, model social learning belum sepenuhnya berdampak pada peningkatan sumber daya manusia melalui program-program yang dijalankan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan analisis kinerja dan kebutuhan guna mengetahui masalah yang dihadapi petani garam Kabupaten Pamekasan dan menentukan kebutuhan yang harus dimiliki oleh petani garam Kabupaten Pamekasan agar dapat meningkatkan kualitas sumber daya manusia. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif dengan jenis kajian studi kasus. Teknik pengambilan data menggunakan wawancara mendalam ke pihak-pihak terkait, uji keabsahan datanya menggunakan triangulasi sumber dan metode, dan analisis datanya menggunakan metode induktif. Hasil analisis kinerja menunjukkan bahwa terdapat beberapa kendala dari beberapa aspek dalam pelaksanaan program dan analisis kebutuhan menunjukkan bahwa petani garam membutuhkan kompetensi keterampilam dan pengetahuan untuk membuat garam dan kompetensi untuk mengubah pola pikir dengan diimbangi sistem penyampaian informasi yang tidak menyebabkan terputusnya informasi.Title: Performance and Need Analysis of Salt Farmers in Pamekasan Regency as a Based of Development of the Design of Social Learning ModelThe social learning model is an approach using observational learning theory. This model has been used by the Pamekasan District Fisheries Office to improve the quality of human resources. Unfortunately, the social learning model has not fully impacted the improvement of human resources through the implemented programs. This study aimed to analyze the performance and needs in order to determine the problems and the needs of the salt farmers in Pamekasan Regency in order to improve the quality of human resources. This research was a case study qualitative research with. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with related parties, their validity were tested using triangulation of sources and methods, and their data analysis were using inductive method. The results of the performance analysis showed that there are several obstacles from several aspects of the program’s implementation and needs analysis showed that the salt farmers need the competence of skills and knowledge to produce salt as well as the change of mindset with a balanced information delivery system that does not cause interruption of information.

Ideological Asymmetries in Motivated Reasoning and the Mechanisms of Attitude Polarization: A Two-Wave Survey Experiment

Are there specific motives that lead individuals to become extreme in their political attitudes after exposure to information? Can these motives explain recent evidence that attitude polariza-tion occurs more on the conservative than the liberal side? We propose that two mechanisms, related to relational motives to engage in social conformity and epistemic motives to reduce uncertainty, might contribute to answering these questions. We used experimental manipula-tions to induce relational and epistemic motives in a two-wave survey experiment, in which we exposed participants to balanced information pertaining highly salient political issues in the U.S. Our results suggest that relational motives to maintain homogenous social networks are highly pertinent to how people, especially political conservatives, process information and make up their minds about important social and political issues. When exposed to social cues indicating where liberals and conservatives stand on specific issues, the two groups became fur-ther apart in their attitudes. Furthermore, we observed that, in the presence of social cues, con-servatives were more likely to develop extreme attitudes than liberals, triggering asymmetric polarization. Contrary to our predictions, however, we did not obtain consistent evidence of in-creased ideological polarization when epistemic motives to reduce uncertainty were present, although we found that conservatives (and not liberals) displayed a stronger confirmation bias in the evaluation of political arguments when uncertainty was high (compared to low).