NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS COVID-19 PREVENTIVE MEASURES: PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS AND PROSPECTS FOR CORRECTION

  • A. M. Borisova Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2360-7599 anamibo@yandex.ru
  • N. B. Goryunova Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8819-5903 nat-goryunova@yandex.ru
  • T. A. Kubrak Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0701-1736 kubrak.tina@gmail.com
  • V. V. Latynov Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9584-2950 vladlat5@lenta.ru
  • A. V. Makhnach Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2231-1788 makhnach@ipran.ru
Keywords: COVID-19, preventive measures, preventative health behavior, social distancing, information and psychological impact, personality traits, values, attitudes, beliefs, inaccurate information

Abstract

Abstract. Aim. The article examines the psychological foundations and prospects for changing attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measures based on the results of modern research. Materials and methods. The review focuses on human behavior as a systemic and multilevel phenomenon. The Google Academy database was used for searching the literature on the subject. The following keywords were considered: preventive measures, social distancing, hygiene measures. Results. Three groups of predictors were identified showing responsible attitude towards COVID-19 preventive measures: stable (personality traits, values, cognitive features, cultural features); relatively stable (ideological beliefs, basic scientific knowledge, social I features, and group identity); dynamic (emotional state, attitudes and beliefs regarding the pandemic, including pandemic severity, subjective vulnerability, preventive measures, government institutions). Their influence on preventive measures was considered as both direct and indirect. The prospects for correcting negative attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measures through information and psychological impact were considered. Two main strategies of such impact were identified: direct, which was aimed at attitudes and beliefs directly associated with preventive measures (their effectiveness, availability, etc.); indirect, which was focused on changing a wider range of attitudes and beliefs (perception of the pandemic, attitudes towards authorities, etc.). The patterns of information and psychological impact were analyzed. Conclusion. A variety of psychological grounds for negative attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measurescomplicates the task of correcting such attitudes but does not make it impossible.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

A. M. Borisova , Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation)

Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Personality Psychology

N. B. Goryunova , Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation)

Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Speech Psychology and Psycholinguistics

T. A. Kubrak , Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation)

Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Speech Psychology and Psycholinguistics

V. V. Latynov , Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation)

Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Leading Researcher, Laboratory of Speech Psychology and Psycholinguistics

A. V. Makhnach , Federal state-financed establishment of science Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences (13, Yaroslavskaya str., Moscow, 129366, Russian Federation)

Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Deputy Director for Scientific Work

References

1. Zhuravlev A.L., Kitova D.A. Analysis of public interest in information about the pandemic coronavirus (on the example of users of Internet search engines). Psikhologicheskii zhurnal = Psychological Journal. 2020; 41 (4): 5–18. (in Russ.). DOI: 10.31857/S020595920010383-7
2. Nestik T.A. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society: a socio-psychological analysis. Institut psikhologi iRossiiskoi akademii nauk. Sotsialnaya i ekonomicheskaya psikhologiya = Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Social and Economic Psychology. 2020; 5 (2). (in Russ.). DOI: 10.38098/ipran.sep.2020.18.2.002
3. Ushakov D.V., Yurevich A.V., Nestik T.A., Yurevich M.A. Socio-psychological aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic: results of an expert survey of Russian psychologists. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal = Psychological Journal. 2020; 41 (5): 5–17. (in Russ.). DOI: 10.31857/S020595920011074-7
4. Yurevich A.V., Ushakov D.V., Yurevich M.A. COVID-19: results of the second expert survey. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal = Psychological Journal. 2020; 41 (6): 78–85. (in Russ.). DOI: 10.31857/S020595920012591-6
5. Blagov P.S. Adaptive and dark personality in the COVID-19 pandemic: Predicting health-behavior endorsement and the appeal of public-health messages. Social Psychological and Per-sonality Science. 2020; 12: 1–11. DOI: 10.1177/1948550620936439.
6. Clark C., Davila A., Regis M. et al. Predictors of COVID-19 voluntary compliance behaviors: an international investigation. Global Transitions 2020; 2: 76–82. DOI: 10.1016/j.glt.2020.06.003
7. Qian K, Yahara T. Mentality and behavior in COVID-19 emergency status in Japan: Influence of personality, morality and ideology. PLoS ONE. 2020; 15 (7): e0235883. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235883.
8. Aschwanden D., Strickhouser J.E., Sesker A.A. et al. Psychological and behavioural responses to Coronavirus disease 2019: The role of personality. European Journal of Personality. 2021; 35 (1): 51–66. DOI: 10.1002/per.2281.
9. Ebrahimi O., Hoffart A., Johnson S. Factors associated with adherence to social distancing protocols and hygienic behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/h7wmj.
10. Han H. Exploring the association between compliance with measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and big five traits with Bayesian generalized linear model. Personality and Individual Differences. 2021; 176: 110787. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110787.
11. Zajenkowski M., Jonason P.K., Leniarska M. et al. Who complies with the restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19?: Personality and perceptions of the COVID-19 situation. Personality and Individual Differences. 2020; 166: 110199. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110199.
12. Egorova M.S., Parshikova O.V., Zyryanova N.M., Staroverov V.M. Personality traits and perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Voprosy psikhologii = Psychological issues. 2020; 66 (4): 81–103 (in Russ.). https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=44434382. (accessed 30.04.2021).
13. Xu P., Cheng J. Individual differences in social distancing and mask-wearing in the pandemic of COVID-19: The role of Need for Cognition, self-control and risk attitude. Personality and Individual Differences. 2021; 175: 110706. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110706.
14. Alper S., Bayrak F., Yilmaz O. Psychological Correlates of COVID-19 Conspiracy Beliefs and Preventive Measures: Evidence from Turkey. Current Psychology. 2020: 1-10. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00903-0.
15. Chan E.Y. Moral foundations underlying behavioral compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Personality and Individual Differences. 2020; 171: 110463. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110463.
16. Graham J., Nosek B.A., Haidt J. et al. Mapping the moral domain. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2011; 101 (2): 366–385.DOI: 10.1037/a0021847
17. Choma B.L., Hodson G., Sumantry D. et al. Ideological and Psychological Predictors of COVID-19-Related Collective Action, Opinions, and Health Compliance Across Three Nations. Journal of Social and Political Psychology. 2021; 9 (1): 123–143. DOI: 10.5964/jspp.5585
18. Swami V., Barron D. Analytic thinking, rejection of coronavirus (COVID-19) conspiracy theories, and compliance with mandated social-distancing: Direct and indirect relationships in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United Kingdom. OSF. 2020. DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/nmx9w.
19. Teovanovic P., Lukic P., Zupan Z. et al. Irrational beliefs differentially predict adherence to guidelines and pseudoscientific practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applied Cognitive Psychology. 2021; 35: 486–496. DOI: 10.1002/acp.3770.
20. Erceg N., Ružojčić M., Galić, Z. Misbehaving in the Corona crisis: The role of anxiety and unfounded beliefs. Current Psychology. 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-01040-4.
21. Lazarevic L., Purić D., Teovanovic P. et al. What drives us to be (ir)responsible for our health during the COVID-19 pandemic? The role of personality, thinking styles and conspiracy mentality. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/cgeuv. (accessed 23.04.2021).
22. Huynh T.L.D. Does culture matter social distancing under the COVID-19 pandemic? Safety Science. 2020; 130: 104872. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104872.
23. Frey C.B., Chen C., Presidente G. Democracy, culture, and contagion: political regimes and countries responsiveness to Covid-19. Covid Economics. 2020; 18: 222–238. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:06808503-78e4-404f-804f-1f97ab2c7d7e. (accessed 30.04.2021).
24. Im H., Chen C. Social distancing around the globe: cultural correlates of reduced mobility. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/b2s37.
25. Makhnach A.V. Human resilience under uncertainty. Institut psihologii Rossijskoj akademii nauk. Organizatsionnaya psikhologiya i psikhologiya truda = Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Organizational Psychology and Work Psychology. 2020; 5 (4): 131–166. (in Russ.). DOI: 10.38098/ipran.opwp.2020.17.4.006
26. Kay C.S. Predicting COVID-19 conspiracist ideation from the Dark Tetrad traits. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/j3m2y.
27. Freeman D., Waite E., Rosebrock L. et al. Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs, mistrust, and compliance with government guidelines in England. Psychological Medicine. 2020; 50: 1–30. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291720001890.
28. Čavojová V., Šrol J., BallováMikušková E. How scientific reasoning correlates with health-related beliefs and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic? Journal of Health Psychology. 2020. DOI: 10.1177/1359105320962266.
29. Shook N.J, Sevi B., Lee J. et al. Disease avoidance in the time of COVID-19: The behavioral immune system is associated with concern and preventative health behaviors. PLoS ONE. 2020; 15 (8).e0238015. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238015.
30. Makridis C., Rothwell J.T. The Real Cost of Political Polarization: Evience from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Covid Economics. 2020. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3638373 31.
31. Farias J.E.M., Pilati R. Violating social distancing amid COVID-19 pandemic: Psychological factors to improve compliance. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/apg9e.
32. Tuncgenc B., El Zein M., Sulik J. et al. We distance most when we believe our social circle does. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/u74wc.
33. Harper C.A., Satchell L., Fido D. et al. Functional fear predicts public health compliance in the COVID-19. International journal of mental health and addiction. 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s11469-020-00281-5.
34. Biddlestone M., Green R., Douglas K. Cultural orientation, power, belief in conspiracy theories, and intentions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. British Journal of Social Psychology. 2020; 59 (3): 663–673. DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12397.
35. Wismans A., Letina S., Thurik R. et al. Hygiene and social distancing as distinct public health related behaviours among university students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Social Psychological Bulletin. 2020; 15 (4). DOI: 10.32872/spb.4383.
36. Mulukom van V. The Role of Trust and Information in Adherence to Protective Behaviors and Conspiracy Belief during the COVID-19 Pandemic. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/chy4b
37. Mukhlis H., Widyastuti T., Harlianty R.A. et al. Study on Awareness of COVID-19 and Compliance with Social Distancing during COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia. PsyArXiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/c9rme.
38. Qazi A., Qazi J., Naseer K. et al. Analyzing situational awareness through public opinion to predict adoption of social distancing amid pandemic COVID-19. Journal of Medical Virology. 2020; 92 (7): 849–855. DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25840.
39. Kubrak T.A., Latynov V.V. Possibilities and limitations of information and psychological impact in the situation of pandemic coronavirus. Institut psikhologii Rossiiskoi akademii nauk. Sotsialnaya i ekonomicheskaya psikhologiya = Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Social and Economic Psychology. 2020; 5 (2). (in Russ.). DOI: 10.38098/ipran.sep.2020.18.2.003
40. Everett J.A., Colombatto C., Chituc V. et al. The effectiveness of moral messages on public health behavioral intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psyarxiv. 2020. DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/9yqs8.
41. Lammers J., Crusius J., Gast A. Correcting misperceptions of expotential coronavirus growth increases support for social distancing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2020; 117 (28): 16264–16266. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006048117.
42. Mikheev E.A., Nestik T.A. Psychological mechanisms of Infodemia and Personal Attitudes towards Misinformation about COVID-19 in Social Networks. Institut psikhologii Rossiiskoi akademii nauk. Sotsialnaya i ekonomicheskaya psikhologiya = Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Social and Economic Psychology. 2021; 6 (1). (in Russ.). DOI: 10.38098/ipran.sep.2021.21.1.002
43. Chan M.P.S., Jones C.R., Hall Jamieson K., Albarracín D. Debunking: A meta-analysis of the psychological efficacy of messages countering misinformation. Psychological Science. 2017; 28 (11): 1531–1546. DOI: 10.1177/0956797617714579
44. Walter, N., Murphy, S.T. How to unring the bell: A meta-analytic approach to correction of misinformation. Communication Monographs. 2018; 85(3): 423–441. DOI: 10.1080/03637751.2018.1467564
45. Georgiou N., Delfabbro P., Balzan R. COVID-19-related conspiracy beliefs and their relationship with perceived stress and preexisting conspiracy beliefs. Personality and individual differences. 2020; 166: 110201. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110201 (accessed 30.04.2021).
46. Luttrell A., Philipp-Muller A.Z., Petty R.E. Challenging moral attitudes with moral messages. Psychological Science. 2019; 30 (8): 1136–1150. DOI: 10.1177/0956797619854706.
47. Luttrell A., Petty R.E. Evaluations of Self-Focused Versus Other-Focused Arguments for Social Distancing: An Extension of Moral Matching Effects. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2020; 12 (6): 946–954 DOI: 10.1177/1948550620947853.
48. Trevors G., Duffy M.C. Correcting COVID-19 Misconceptions Requires Caution. Educational Research. 2020; 49 (7): 538–542. DOI: 10.3102/0013189X20953825.

References on translit

-
Published
2021-10-01
How to Cite
Borisova, A., Goryunova, N., Kubrak, T., Latynov, V., & Makhnach, A. (2021). NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS COVID-19 PREVENTIVE MEASURES: PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS AND PROSPECTS FOR CORRECTION. Psychology. Psychophysiology, 14(3), 5-18. https://doi.org/10.14529/jpps210301
Section
Methodological and theoretical issues of psychology