Lessons learned about willingness to adopt various protective measures during the early COVID-19 pandemic in three countries

Author(s)
Ana Paula Santana, Lars Korn, Cornelia Betsch, Robert Böhm
Abstract

BackgroundRegarding the COVID-19 pandemic, concerted efforts have been invested in research to investigate and communicate the importance of complying with protective behaviors, such as handwashing and mask wearing. Protective measures vary in how effective they are in protecting the individual against infection, how much experience people have with them, whether they provide individual or societal protection, and how they are perceived on these dimensions. MethodsThis study assessed the willingness to follow recommended measures, depending on these features, among participants from Germany (n = 333), Hong Kong (n = 367), and the U.S. (n = 495). From April 24(th) to May 1(st), 2020, individuals completed an online survey that assessed the antecedents of interest. ResultsIt was shown that assumed effectiveness, previous experience, and intended self- and other-protection positively predicted willingness to comply across countries. When measures were mainly perceived as protecting others (vs. the self), individuals were less prone to adopt them. When a measure's effectiveness to protect the individual was perceived as lower, willingness to adopt the measure increased with higher levels of prior experience and collectivism. Moreover, protecting others was more strongly related to adoption when individuals had higher levels of collectivism and lower levels of individualism. ConclusionsEmphasizing the benefit for others could be a means to lower the potential detrimental effects of low assumed effectiveness for individual protection.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
University of Copenhagen, Universität Erfurt, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine
Journal
PLoS ONE
Volume
17
No. of pages
15
ISSN
1932-6203
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265892
Publication date
03-2022
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
501021 Social psychology
Keywords
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/lessons-learned-about-willingness-to-adopt-various-protective-measures-during-the-early-covid19-pandemic-in-three-countries(fe037db4-6766-4e7d-bc2a-493e318c98d2).html