How Dolly Parton — and ‘line cutters’ — can help defeat COVID vaccine hesitancy

Some people will do anything — lie, cheat, steal — to push their way to the front of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine.

This week, Sacramento County officials blasted would-be line cutters for gumming up efforts to get eligible residents vaccinated.

“When someone books a vaccination appointment under false pretenses, that is one less appointment for someone who does qualify — setting the entire plan back,” said county health officials.

Line cutting by ineligible people is selfish and unethical. But could these public displays of vaccine eagerness help increase demand for the jabs and reduce vaccine hesitancy?

Humans rarely make decisions based on scientific facts or reason. As social animals, we often make decisions based on the behaviors of others. For example, we tend to see things as more valuable when we see them as scarce or popular. This explains why marketers often pitch products as “limited” or “rare,” or by emphasizing their popularity.

That’s why stories about line cutters — along with pictures of people waiting in vaccination lines — could have the positive side effect of persuading more people to want the vaccine.

For more information, I called Dr. Robert Cialdini, professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University. His 1984 book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” established him as the undisputed authority on the specific ways marketers use psychology to win us over.

“They are, in a backhanded way, doing us a favor by demonstrating the desirability of this thing,” said Cialdini of the line cutters. “But they’re also doing us a favor in terms of engaging ‘loss aversion.’ They’re cutting ahead of us in line so that we lose our place in line, and we hate losing what we’re entitled to.”

By making us feel cheated, line cutters can sharpen our own interest in getting vaccinated. Line cutters may be horrible people, but public health officials would be wise to emphasize the high demand for the vaccine instead of focusing on the minority of “vaccine-hesitant” people.

That’s because most of us take powerful cues from what we see as popular with the majority of people — a concept known as “social proof.” Therefore, public health officials would be wise to constantly remind people that the vast majority of their fellow citizens are pining for jabs.

Cialdini said it’s critical to convey the growing momentum for vaccination.

For example, he said, polls show that an increasing number of people who had expressed hesitation or distrust toward the COVID vaccine have now decided to get it. By highlighting the number of people who are changing their minds instead of fixating on those who remain hesitant, we can help persuade other undecided people to trust vaccines.

“Give them a trend in the direction that you are recommending,” said Cialdini, adding that his newest research shows that projecting a trend can have a “supersized” effect on persuasion.

In January, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 41% of Americans planned to get the coronavirus vaccine once it became available — an increase from 34% the previous month. Six percent of respondents said they had already been vaccinated. On Feb. 22, a new KFF report said 55% of U.S. adults had either received a dose of the vaccine or planned to get one as soon as possible.

Communicating this positive trend to the public is crucial, Cialdini said.

“That trend causes people to see that as a reason to get on board because that’s where people are going,” he said. “They’re recognizing that this is the right thing to do.”

Another powerful tool in the persuasion arsenal: Dolly Parton. Celebrities can exert a powerful influence over the lives of their fans. Cialdini pointed to a 2018 study showing that a fictional statement from actor George Clooney was more effective than a statement from a fictional biology professor at getting students to embrace the theory of evolution.

Parton, who donated $1 million to fund research for the Moderna vaccine, got her shot this week (after waiting her turn). Popular celebrities like Parton — who released a video of her vaccination and sang a parody version of the 1974 song “Jolene,” renamed “Vaccine” — can help convince those resistant to scientific arguments.

“Science communicators are fools to think they convince people who have an emotional, faith-based position on an issue by giving them fact-based arguments,” Cialdini said. “No, you have to give them something else emotional, like a ‘liked’ celebrity.”

To deal with vaccine hesitancy in specific communities, Cialdini said it’s important to pursue culturally competent strategies led by people from those communities. Polls have shown high levels of vaccine hesitancy in Black, Latino and immigrant communities that distrust the medical system due to historic injustices.

People are more likely to trust messages from people who belong to the groups with whom they identify, also known as “in-groups,” Cialdini said. This explains why Gov. Gavin Newsom recently joined comedian George Lopez at a Mexican restaurant in Fresno to highlight the state’s coronavirus efforts.

It’s also important to frame the argument in terms of family protection, Cialdini said.

“The key is to tell them not that they are protecting themselves, but that they are protecting their families,” Cialdini said. “You’re doing this for your spouse, for your children, for your parents. The family is the ultimate in-group … you should do this out of love.”

And what about Republicans who distrust the vaccine? A recent poll by Civiqs found that 56% of Republicans expressed resistance to getting vaccinated — the highest hesitancy rate of any demographic group.

Cialdini said it’s important to use all the tools of persuasion, including social proof, the perception of scarcity, likable celebrities and in-group communicators, to reach conservatives. He said there’s a particular phrase that, added to other techniques, can overcome resistance: “This is your choice. It’s completely up to you.”

When people realize no one is forcing them to take a specific action, following the popular trend can become the obvious move. After all, if the vaccine is good enough for Dolly, it’s good enough for everyone.

This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "How Dolly Parton — and ‘line cutters’ — can help defeat COVID vaccine hesitancy."