(Mis)Matching in Inoculation

This chapter explores the potential effect of (mis)matching the composition, strength, structure, and modality of variables and messages in the inoculation process. A review of the extant (mis)matching inoculation literature is presented and organized around three areas of accumulated research interest: (1) (mis)matching within the inoculation message, (2) (mis)matching between the initial position and the inoculation message, and (3) (mis)matching between the inoculation message and the counter-positional challenge. Based on the cumulative results, a relative advantage of the matching—as opposed to the mismatching—approach is evidenced, its significance is discussed, and a call for additional research is made. In addition, directions for future studies are offered.