One potential explanation is needle phobia, and people invent rationalizations on top of this. I don’t find it prima facie implausible that people strongly dislike violations of their bodily autonomy. This is, after all, the reason why we have laws against non-consensual touching and sexual assault.
This theory has the advantage that it explains why people seem less skeptical of government coercion for other things. My sense is also that I find relatively little resistance to the idea that we should take emergency-approved medication if we’re hospitalized with COVID-19.
It is estimated that at least 10% of American adults have a fear of needles, and it is likely that the actual number is larger, as the most severe cases are never documented due to the tendency of the sufferer to avoid all medical treatment. The diagnosis criteria for BII phobias are stricter, with an estimated 3-4% prevalence in the general population, and this also includes blood-related phobias.
Prevalence of fear of needles has been increasing, with two studies showing an increase among children from 25% in 1995 to 65% in 2012 (for those born after 1999). Augusta University professor Amy Baxter attributes this increase to an increase in administration of booster shots around the age of 5, which is old enough to remember and young enough to be more likely to result in formation of a phobia.
As for myself, I find it somewhat disturbing to be stabbed with a needle. I can cope with vaccines, but in the few instances in my life in which I needed to draw blood, or have a drug administered intravenously, I remember feeling extremely queasy. It’s overall not a fun time.
Nobody in the post’s quoted survey results mentioned needle phobia or gives any indication they have a fear of needles. Is that not evidence that needle phobia isn’t the cause?
Perhaps it’s embarrassing for people to talk about. In my experience, people aren’t always honest about their true motives. In fact, in many cases my starting assumption is that people will actively be dishonest by trying to invent a reason that sounds noble when the true motive is mundane and kind of ugly.
Maybe my point is easier to see if you imagine how the justification “I’m afraid of needles” would fare in a public debate. The answer will be, “Just get over it you big baby. That’s not a reason to risk killing people by spreading the virus.”
The poll was anonymous and was not inviting debate.
my starting assumption is that people will actively be dishonest by trying to invent a reason that sounds noble when the true motive is mundane and kind of ugly
This sounds like a good way to disregard all stated reasons all the time. I can only see it being a valuable heuristic if you first have some other reason to believe the true motive.
The poll was anonymous and was not inviting debate.
Even still, people are prone to self-deception. You may be interested in this book, which argues that self-deception is very normal. In a multitude of areas of life (from education to religion) people often tell themselves and others that they’re doing things because of reason X, when reason Y fits the evidence a lot better.
Ask yourself whether a poll asking why people appreciate modern art would provide a lot of insight into why people view modern art. Or a poll asking people why they donate to charity. At the very least, many of the replies will probably leave out one of their true motives, such as wanting to look benevolent to others in the case of charity.
It’s worse than that. “Self deception” implies that you know what the real answer is and then deceive yourself to believe otherwise. You still have to figure out what the right answer is, and while people are obviously going to be more willing to look for and accept self flattering answers, such motivated cognition isn’t necessary in order to ruin the idea of anonymous polls being fountains of truth.
If you see a lion and feel fear, it’s easy to figure out that you’re probably afraid that it’s going to eat you. If the lion is in a cage at the zoo, then seemingly no explanation works so you say “I guess I just have a[n irrational] fear of lions”.
Similarly, if you feel fear when a doctor pulls out a needle, you have to figure out why that is. “Because I don’t trust the guy with a needle” is a pretty straight forward explanation, and sorta by definition true. You’re not going to get “Because I have a fear of needles” unless the person decides that their fear can’t be justified.
This sounds like a good way to disregard all stated reasons all the time. I can only see it being a valuable heuristic if you first have some other reason to believe the true motive.
I agree, but I presented evidence to the contrary. Wikipedia said that 10% of adults have needle phobia, and added “it is likely that the actual number is larger”. Even if not strictly the main reason why people avoid the vaccine, it seems probable that it plays some role.
If it were merely a matter of distrusting social institutions, we would need an explanation of why people seem to have no problem trusting those same social institutions in other circumstances, including other medicine that they’re prescribed. Almost every single time a new vaccine is introduced on the market, there are a lot of people who oppose it. Therefore this phenomenon seems unlikely to merely be the result of a perception of rushed vaccine trials or something similar.
Are you referring to specific vaccinations? Most vaccines are administered when people are small children, and thus have no choice in the matter. The flu vaccine is routinely taken by only about 50% of the population, which is less than the Covid vaccine.
I’m not sure, but it’s clear that some cultures have more collectivist norms, which translates into more social pressure for people to get the shot, even if they don’t like it privately.
One potential explanation is needle phobia, and people invent rationalizations on top of this. I don’t find it prima facie implausible that people strongly dislike violations of their bodily autonomy. This is, after all, the reason why we have laws against non-consensual touching and sexual assault.
This theory has the advantage that it explains why people seem less skeptical of government coercion for other things. My sense is also that I find relatively little resistance to the idea that we should take emergency-approved medication if we’re hospitalized with COVID-19.
Wikipedia states,
As for myself, I find it somewhat disturbing to be stabbed with a needle. I can cope with vaccines, but in the few instances in my life in which I needed to draw blood, or have a drug administered intravenously, I remember feeling extremely queasy. It’s overall not a fun time.
Nobody in the post’s quoted survey results mentioned needle phobia or gives any indication they have a fear of needles. Is that not evidence that needle phobia isn’t the cause?
Perhaps it’s embarrassing for people to talk about. In my experience, people aren’t always honest about their true motives. In fact, in many cases my starting assumption is that people will actively be dishonest by trying to invent a reason that sounds noble when the true motive is mundane and kind of ugly.
Maybe my point is easier to see if you imagine how the justification “I’m afraid of needles” would fare in a public debate. The answer will be, “Just get over it you big baby. That’s not a reason to risk killing people by spreading the virus.”
The poll was anonymous and was not inviting debate.
This sounds like a good way to disregard all stated reasons all the time. I can only see it being a valuable heuristic if you first have some other reason to believe the true motive.
Even still, people are prone to self-deception. You may be interested in this book, which argues that self-deception is very normal. In a multitude of areas of life (from education to religion) people often tell themselves and others that they’re doing things because of reason X, when reason Y fits the evidence a lot better.
Ask yourself whether a poll asking why people appreciate modern art would provide a lot of insight into why people view modern art. Or a poll asking people why they donate to charity. At the very least, many of the replies will probably leave out one of their true motives, such as wanting to look benevolent to others in the case of charity.
It’s worse than that. “Self deception” implies that you know what the real answer is and then deceive yourself to believe otherwise. You still have to figure out what the right answer is, and while people are obviously going to be more willing to look for and accept self flattering answers, such motivated cognition isn’t necessary in order to ruin the idea of anonymous polls being fountains of truth.
If you see a lion and feel fear, it’s easy to figure out that you’re probably afraid that it’s going to eat you. If the lion is in a cage at the zoo, then seemingly no explanation works so you say “I guess I just have a[n irrational] fear of lions”.
Similarly, if you feel fear when a doctor pulls out a needle, you have to figure out why that is. “Because I don’t trust the guy with a needle” is a pretty straight forward explanation, and sorta by definition true. You’re not going to get “Because I have a fear of needles” unless the person decides that their fear can’t be justified.
I agree, but I presented evidence to the contrary. Wikipedia said that 10% of adults have needle phobia, and added “it is likely that the actual number is larger”. Even if not strictly the main reason why people avoid the vaccine, it seems probable that it plays some role.
If it were merely a matter of distrusting social institutions, we would need an explanation of why people seem to have no problem trusting those same social institutions in other circumstances, including other medicine that they’re prescribed. Almost every single time a new vaccine is introduced on the market, there are a lot of people who oppose it. Therefore this phenomenon seems unlikely to merely be the result of a perception of rushed vaccine trials or something similar.
#21′s response that “If a pill form was available… I would” might be related to needle phobia, although not explicitly stated.
There is anxiety in there. That could stand for needle phobia.
Needle phobia wouldn’t explain a gap between covid vaccines and other vaccinations, correct?
Are you referring to specific vaccinations? Most vaccines are administered when people are small children, and thus have no choice in the matter. The flu vaccine is routinely taken by only about 50% of the population, which is less than the Covid vaccine.
Huh, interesting point. Do we know what’s happening with blood draws, or pre-travel vaccinations?
How does your theory explain cross-country differences in vaccination rates?
I’m not sure, but it’s clear that some cultures have more collectivist norms, which translates into more social pressure for people to get the shot, even if they don’t like it privately.