Several years later, we now have even more reason for optimism that inoculation works in contexts like this, with new findings about inoculation that stretch its boundary conditions to include protection against more self-generated challenges, like technology frustration.

Josh Compton

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498579698/Recruitment-Retention-and-Engagement-of-a-Millennial-Workforce

A few years ago, I wrote “Frustration Vaccination?” to advance the argument that inoculation theory might guide a useful pedagogical strategy early in the term to help college students work through unhelpful technology frustrations—before they experience stronger frustrations later in the term. Such an application of inoculation seemed promising. For it to work, inoculation theory assumes a few things: that an existing desirable state (e.g., an attitude, a belief) is present and would benefit from strengthening prior to future challenges, much the way a medical inoculation seeks to make a healthy body more resistant to future challenges. Once someone has the flu, for example, it is too late for a flu shot. These conditions seemed present in the context of students using technology during digital learning projects: a positive attitude toward technology at the start of a project that would likely be challenged by frustrations with technology during the process of working on the project. Several years later, we now have even more reason for optimism that inoculation works in contexts like this, with new findings about inoculation that stretch its boundary conditions to include protection against more self-generated challenges, like technology frustration. This optimism has led me to consider other, related applications of inoculation, including applied as a strategy to better engage a Millennial workforce through initial internal communication efforts that offer advice and guidance toward healthier, more effective ways of dealing with boredom that might be experienced later. Might inoculation theory messaging serve as a vaccine for boredom? This is the key question explored in this chapter.

Compton, J. (2019). A vaccine for boredom? Considering inoculation theory as a messaging strategy to better engage, and retain, a millennial workforce. In S. A. Smith (Ed.), Recruitment, retention, and engagement of a millennial workforce (pp. 163-176). Landham, MD: Lexington Books.