AGU Department of Political Science and International Relations held the second of seminar series this term.From Bilkent University, Dr. Instructor Member Ayşenur DAL and Dr. Instructor Member Efe TOKDEMİR presented their article titled "Social Psychology of Vaccination Intentions: The Role of Institutional Trust in Combating Covid-19 in Polarized Societies". This article examines the social-psychological mechanisms behind how citizens in societies with clear social/political divisions cope with the uncertainties arising from COVID-19 vaccine developments. It shows that if society is strongly polarized, it is difficult to overcome an immediate collective threat that requires public cooperation with health policies. The paper's findings offer key policy implications for the immunization phase of the pandemic and contribute to the areas of individual judgment and decision-making about public health, conflict studies, and social risks.
