Best Practices for Modeling the Inoculation Process

This chapter argues for the testing of a serial mediational model in order to assess inoculation effects. The model represents a theorized causal chain of an inoculation treatment eliciting perceived threat, which elicits a defensive response and resistance to distal persuasive outcomes. Inherent to this process is the inclusion of measures of perceived threat and defensive responses as part of theoretically substantive analyses rather than as manipulation checks assessed separately. The chapter also notes the importance of modeling parsimonious structures. Finally, additional theoretical constructs are identified for scholars to consider modeling when assessing the inoculation process.