Ambivalence Toward the Implementation of Preventive Measures in (Un-)Vaccinated German Citizens

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life around the world. To fight the pandemic, preventive measures were implemented. Despite being accepted by a majority of citizens in Germany, these measures elicited fierce protest from others. It seems that people either like or dislike them. Given the immense complexity of the topic, it is also likely that people hold ambivalent attitudes (i.e., simultaneously positive and negative). Aims: The purpose of this study is to explore ambivalence toward the (non-)implementation of preventive measures in vaccinated and unvaccinated German citizens. Method: Vaccinated ( N = 136) and unvaccinated ( N = 170) participants indicated their positivity, negativity and experienced ambivalence toward the (non-)implementation of preventive measures (e.g., mask mandatory). Results: The structure of positive and negative evaluations (i.e., objective ambivalence) indicates that unvaccinated people are more univalent (negative) and vaccinated people are neutral toward the preventive measures. Interestingly, results indicate a dissociation between objective ambivalence and experienced ambivalence. Limitation: The results are limited by the measurement choice, data collection time, and sample. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the experienced ambivalence increases with increasing personal costs. Implications for behavior change interventions and health psychology are discussed.