MESA researchers have published a study titled "Ingroup Favoritism Surrounding COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Hispanic Communities: Experimental Study" that examines how ethnic and linguistic cues influence information-seeking behaviors among Hispanic populations during the pandemic. The research study included participants across Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups and investigated preferences for COVID-19 vaccination information presented through experimental social media pages that varied both the ethnicity of individuals shown in imagery and the language used in messaging.

The study's findings reveal that Hispanic participants showed a significant preference for social media pages featuring Hispanic imagery paired with Spanish text when seeking COVID-19 vaccination information. Notably, the research suggests that visual representation may have an even stronger influence than language alone, demonstrating that incorporating ethnic and linguistic cues that reflect the target audience's identity can significantly enhance engagement and information-seeking behaviors among Hispanic populations.