It seems that the proponents and the skeptics of the coronavirus vaccination have formed two social groups that are irreconcilably opposed to each other, says Lukas Thürmer, behavioral psychologist from the University of Salzburg.

How to form an opinion.

But there are also many similarities between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. “What we suspect is that the processes of how people come to their opinion and how they defend or maintain their opinion are very similar in the vaccinated and unvaccinated. That is exactly what we want to decide, ”explains the behavioral psychologist.

Above all, the researcher wants to break the rifts. “What the research of others shows is that most people talk to those people who have the same vaccination status and the same opinion”, Lukas Thürmer.

Survey anonymously on the Internet

The survey works on the Internet. It doesn’t take long and leaves plenty of space for personal comments and opinions. 270 people have participated so far. Most of them are vaccinated. “But where the crux of the matter is that we still have little feedback, especially from the unvaccinated,” says Lukas Thürmer. He appeals to people who face the vaccination to be critical of the poll.

The survey is completely anonymous. However, some participants contact Lukas Thürmer personally to send comments directly to him. “What I found very interesting was that I received a lot of critical feedback,” says the behavioral psychologist, surprised. He responded to the criticism, and often it would then have dissolved.

Salzburg and US data are compared

In this vaccination survey, the Salzburg University is also looking towards North America. The researchers compare the findings in Salzburg with those in the USA. The findings should be available by the end of January.