What Strategy Is Better for Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination? A Comparison Between Gain-Framed, Loss-Framed, and Altruistic Messages

Background/Objective Vaccination is an efficient public health strategy for controlling infectious diseases like the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study evaluates the effect of gain-framed, loss-framed, and altruism messages on willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine and confirms the best strategy for promoting vaccination. Methods Herein, we designed an online survey experiment, including a control (exposure to non-framed information) and three experimental (exposure to gain-framed, loss-framed, or altruistic messages) groups, to assess the vaccination willingness. All participants (n = 1316) were randomly assigned into one of the four groups. Results The individuals exposed to gain-framed, loss-framed, or altruism messages exhibited a higher willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine than those exposed to non-framed information. Moreover, the loss-framed information effect on vaccination willingness was more substantial than the other two messages. However, no significant difference was observed between the gain-framed and altruism messages. Conclusion This study suggests that a loss-framed information dissemination strategy could be preferable to motivate vaccination willingness against COVID-19.

Quantum Algorithm of Imperfect KB Self-organization Pt I: Smart Control-Information-Thermodynamic Bounds

The quantum self-organization algorithm model of wise knowledge base design for intelligent fuzzy controllers with required robust level considered. Background of the model is a new model of quantum inference based on quantum genetic algorithm. Quantum genetic algorithm applied on line for the quantum correlation’s type searching between unknown solutions in quantum superposition of imperfect knowledge bases of intelligent controllers designed on soft computing. Disturbance conditions of analytical information-thermodynamic trade-off interrelations between main control quality measures (as new design laws) discussed in Part I. The smart control design with guaranteed achievement of these tradeoff interrelations is main goal for quantum self-organization algorithm of imperfect KB. Sophisticated synergetic quantum information effect in Part I (autonomous robot in unpredicted control situations) and II (swarm robots with imperfect KB exchanging between “master - slaves”) introduced: a new robust smart controller on line designed from responses on unpredicted control situations of any imperfect KB applying quantum hidden information extracted from quantum correlation. Within the toolkit of classical intelligent control, the achievement of the similar synergetic information effect is impossible. Benchmarks of intelligent cognitive robotic control applications considered.

Japan’s voluntary lockdown: further evidence based on age-specific mobile location data

Changes in people’s behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic can be regarded as the result of two types of effects: the “intervention effect” (changes resulting from government orders for people to change their behavior) and the “information effect” (voluntary changes in people’s behavior based on information about the pandemic). Using age-specific mobile location data, we examine how the intervention and information effects differ across age groups. Our main findings are as follows. First, the age profile of the intervention effect shows that the degree to which people refrained from going out was smaller for older age groups, who are at a higher risk of serious illness and death, than for younger age groups. Second, the age profile of the information effect shows that the degree to which people stayed at home tended to increase with age for weekends and holidays. Thus, while Acemoglu et al. (2020) proposed targeted lockdowns requiring stricter lockdown policies for the oldest group in order to protect those at a high risk of serious illness and death, our findings suggest that Japan’s government intervention had a very different effect in that it primarily reduced outings by the young, and what led to the quarantining of older groups at higher risk instead was people’s voluntary response to information about the pandemic. Third, the information effect has been on a downward trend since the summer of 2020. It is relatively more pronounced among the young, so that the age profile of the information effect remains upward sloping.

Is bigger more effective? shock size and the efficacy of monetary policy

This study empirically examines whether shock size matters for the US monetary policy effects. Using a nonlinear local projection method, I find that large monetary policy shocks are less powerful than smaller monetary policy shocks, with the information effect being the potential source of the observed asymmetry in monetary policy efficacy.

Monetary policy and the corporate bond market: How important is the Fed information effect?

Does expansionary monetary policy drive up prices of risky assets? Or, do investors interpret monetary policy easing as a signal that economic fundamentals are weaker than they previously believed, prompting riskier asset prices to fall? We test these competing hypotheses within the U.S. corporate bond market and find evidence strongly in favor of the second explanation—known as the "Fed information effect". Following an unanticipated monetary policy tightening (easing), returns on corporate bonds with higher credit risk outperform (underperform). We conclude that monetary policy surprises are predominantly interpreted by market participants as signaling information about the state of the economy.