Positive Emotions Co-Experienced with Strangers and Acquaintances Predict COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions through Prosocial Tendencies

The efficacy of vaccination depends on its widespread adoption, making vaccine uptake not just a personal health behavior but also a prosocial one. Previous research has shown that everyday moments of co-experienced positive emotions (positivity resonance) are associated with higher prosocial tendencies, and these moments, in turn, prospectively predict people’s pandemic hygiene behaviors (such as mask wearing and handwashing). Aiming to extend this research in the context of COVID-19 vaccination, we longitudinally surveyed a national U.S. sample across four weeks during the fall of 2020. In a pre-registered structural equation model, we found that perceived positivity resonance experienced with strangers and acquaintances prospectively predicted prosocial tendencies, which in turn amplified people’s COVID-19 vaccine intentions, social distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing. We discuss theoretical and practical implications related to perceived positivity resonance and vaccination uptake for novel vaccines.