“Vaccine hesitancy, which is defined by WHO as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines
despite availability of vaccination services”, has been reported in more than 90% of countries in
the world.” (The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2019). This decline is likely caused by the
paired belief that vaccine-preventable diseases are harmless and that vaccines are unsafe.
Though information on the falsity of both of these claims is readily available, it has not prevented
the decline in the rate of vaccinations bellow a safe level. This is a serious concern. The fields of
social psychology and personality/individual differences illuminate these problems in distinct
ways. In this synoptic essay, you must present what you think each field might have to say about
vaccine hesitancy, and the essay will have three major components.
i. The Personality/individual Differences approach. Discuss what you think the study of
personality and individual differences might have to say about the psychological
contributors to vaccine hesitancy.
ii. The Social Psychology approach. Discuss what you think the study of social psychology
might have to say about the psychological contributors to vaccine hesitancy.
iii. Your synoptic understanding. Incorporate insights from both social psychology and
personality/individual differences to explain the psychological bases of vaccine
hesitancy, and suggest one or two research-informed things that could be done to help
reduce it.
POINT EVIDENCE EXPLANATION structure
Formatting Requirements:
1. Font size: 12pt
2. Font type: Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Time New Roman or similar clearly legible font type
3. Line spacing: Double spaced
4. Include page numbers
6. Include Reference List (at the end, starting on a separate page)
7. Document Format Allowed: .pdf
word limit 1500 exclusinf references at the end
