Those “I voted” stickers we see every election season are becoming more commonplace. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants to do something similar with the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC suggested that people receive a sticker that says, “I got my COVID-19 vaccine.”
Other groups are also starting similar initiatives.
Adam Wiatrowski founded Courage Thru COVID, a group that's trying to raise awareness not only about coronavirus, but also the vaccine.
The group created wristbands to give out to folks who have gotten the shot. Their goal is to create positivity.
“We’re all in this together, and our goal with the Courage Thru COVID wristband is to give people an opportunity to show their unity and show their support for each other,” said Wiatrowski.
The wristbands are a bright, neon green with the words “Courage Thru COVID” printed on them. Right now, only hospitals in Minnesota are getting them, but Wiatrowski hopes to expand the effort across the country.
There are questions over whether this would really encourage people to get vaccinated. Psychology experts say think so, because there’s power in numbers. If we see a lot of people sporting these stickers, we're likely to be motivated enough to get the vaccine.
The stickers can also create a sense of belonging.
“That sense of belonging does cause us to feel, again, more motivated to belong to that group, to do what those other people around us are doing. But also, to stay true to the norms of that group by trying to convince others that those are the correct actions to take and norms to adopt,” said Robert Cialdini, psychology and marketing professor at Arizona State University.
Cialdini is confident the stickers will encourage people to get vaccinated, but he is unsure at this point of how big of a difference they'll make.
He adds another thing that could motivate people is seeing celebrities endorse the vaccine. He says the science behind this is simple – people are likely to see something as more appropriate if they see someone they like doing it.