Study by Prof. Tomoyuki Kobayashi of the School of Sociology Published in SSM – Population Health

KGU Associate Professor Tomoyuki Kobayashi of the School of Sociology, along with a research group comprising Professor Michio Murakami and Professor Asako Miura (who also holds a position at the Graduate School of Human Welfare Studies) from the Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER) at Osaka University, have clarified how side messages accompanying posters calling for infection prevention, which explain why an action should be taken, affect people’s intentions regarding infection prevention behavior, their attitudes towards those with differing opinions, and their perception of the posters. The results showed that the effectiveness of the side messages varied depending on the country and the recipient’s initial inclination towards infection prevention. It was demonstrated that in Japan, messages combining social norms with additional reasons were more likely to increase behavioral intent, whereas in the United States, messages emphasizing public health were more effective. Conversely, it was also revealed that such posters are often perceived as coercive and stressful by people who are reluctant to take infection prevention measures. This indicates that, when designing infection prevention messages, it is important not only to consider their effectiveness in promoting action but also to take care not to exacerbate resistance, stigmatization, or social division. The findings of this study were published in the international academic journal “SSM – Population Health,” published by Elsevier, on April 20, 2026.

Prof. Kobayashi about the study:

Link to study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827326000248?via%3Dihub