A Psychosocial Model of COVID-19 Vaccination: Antecedent and Concurrent Effects of Demographics, Traits, Political Beliefs, Vaccine Intention, Information Sources, Mandates, and Flu Vaccine History.

This article examines psychosocial predictors of COVID-19 vaccination using a preregistered, longitudinal study of a stratified U.S. adult sample (N = 500) assessed at three key pandemic phases from March 2020 to late 2021. Applying a disposition-belief-motivation framework, the study found that greater educational attainment, absence of children in the household, and lower conscientiousness at baseline directly predicted vaccination 18 months later, while higher openness and less conservative political beliefs influenced vaccination indirectly through stronger vaccine intention. Additionally, vaccine-related contextual factors—such as reliance on health-centric information sources, employer vaccine mandates, and a history of flu vaccination—were directly associated with higher vaccination rates. The findings highlight complex demographic, personality, political, and contextual pathways influencing COVID-19 vaccination behavior, offering insights for targeted public health messaging.