ERI Background
Before JITSUVAX Training came the JITSUVAX Project. Keep reading to discover what the JITSUVAX Project is and how the Empathetic Refutational Interview (ERI) was created.
The JITSUVAX Project
The JITSUVAX Project was set up in response to the global spread of misinformation about vaccination. The international research consortium of psychologists, scientists, clinicians and experts was funded by the EU Horizon 2020.
Over five years (2020-2025), the JITSUVAX Project team:
- gathered information from health workers and discovered many find it challenging to discuss and recommend vaccination with people who have concerns about vaccines
- categorised anti-vaccination arguments and the underlying psychological motivations
- developed and tested a vaccine conversation framework for health workers called the Empathetic Refutational Interview (ERI)
- refined and tested ERI teaching workshops with health workers to create the training offered today
The JITSUVAX Project was led by the University of Bristol. Headed by Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, a world-leading expert in misinformation, the team included experts in vaccination, communication, clinicians, health psychologists, behavioural science researchers and more.
The JITSUVAX Project team
The core team included experts from the following institutions:
- University of Bristol, UK
- University of Erfurt, Germany
- Observatoire Regional de la Sante, France
- University of Coimbra, Portugal
- University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Finland
- University of Cambridge, UK
Supporting organisations included:
- Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
- Center for Health Policies and Services, Romania
- Institute for Developmental and Strategic Analysis, Slovenia
Next Steps
If you are interested in our training or have any questions, please get in touch via the links below.
Group Bookings (we come to you):
Join an Open Workshop (you come to us):
How the Empathetic Refutational Interview (ERI) was created
The Empathetic Refutational Interview (ERI) was created following years of research from the fields of:
- psychology
- cognitive science of misinformation
- communication
- behavioural counselling
- vaccine hesitancy
It blends core skills from Motivational Interviewing (MI), a well-established communication approach, with:
- cognitive psychology best practice for correcting vaccine misconceptions
- the psychological science of attitude roots – the deeper reasons for a person’s vaccine concerns
Specifically, expert Professor Arnaud Gagneur brought the techniques of MI for vaccine conversations to combine with Professor Stephan Lewandowsky’s approach to refuting vaccine misinformation into one teachable framework.
Research studies showed that each step of the four-step framework was important for having effective conversations about vaccination.
The ERI was shown to work in experimental studies during its development and in field studies in practice.
The launch of JITSUVAX Training
The purpose of the social enterprise is to train health workers in the ERI. The founders of JITSUVAX Training support ongoing research to improve vaccine conversations and developments in the ERI. We continue to collaborate with our international partners from the project, including Dr Pierre Verger in France whose team is also providing ongoing ERI training and evaluation.
Core principles of the ERI
1. An evidence-based approach
Combining the science of addressing vaccine misinformation effectively with evidence-based empathetic communication skills.
2. Supporting informed decision-making
The ERI empowers people to base their decisions on reliable information: on facts not fallacies.
3. Demonstrating empathy
Empathy and understanding are core to the approach. It’s about connecting with people and fostering trust.
4. Respecting people’s attitude roots
The ERI recognises the psychological factors underlying people’s vaccine concerns and works with these not against them.
Why it’s called Empathetic Refutational Interview
Empathetic
Demonstrating empathy is important to help create a safe and trusting environment for discussions about vaccinations. This core commitment is about coming alongside a person, connecting and understanding (not confronting).
Refutational
Concerns about vaccination are often based on misconceptions. Changing people’s beliefs can be challenging. The ERI uses approaches shown to be successful in correcting – or ‘refuting’ – misunderstandings.
Interview
This term emphasises the vital part of asking questions and actively listening to understand the root of a person’s attitudes. This naturally opens up a personalised dialogue, rather than delivering generic one-size-fits-all information.
Research and publications
The four-year research project produced multiple peer-reviewed scientific publications.
There are two key publications underpinning the ERI framework:
The Empathetic Refutational Interview to tackle vaccine misconceptions: four randomised experiments
Describes the four steps of the Empathetic Refutational Interview and the research findings that demonstrate the importance of each step.
Published March 2024
A taxonomy of anti-vaccination arguments: systematic literature review and text modelling
Describes the development and validation of a taxonomy for arguments expressed against vaccination, classified according to their underlying psychological attitude roots.
Published July 2023
More about the research project
Find out more about the research project by visiting the JITSUVAX Project website.
