Work

Risk perception and optimism during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Slowing the spread of COVID-19 requires people to actively change their lives by following protective practices, such as physical distancing and disinfecting their hands. Perceptions about the personal risk of COVID-19 may affect compliance with these practices. In this study, we assessed risk perception and optimism about COVID-19 in a multinational (UK, USA and Germany), longitudinal design during the early stages of the pandemic (16 March 2020; 1 April 2020; 20 May 2020). Our main findings are that (i) people showed a comparative optimism bias about getting infected and infecting others, but not for getting severe symptoms, (ii) this optimism bias did not change over time, (iii) optimism bias seemed to relate to perceived level of control over the action, (iv) risk perception was linked to publicly available information about the disorder, (v) people reported adhering closely to protective measures but these measures did not seem to be related to risk perception, and (vi) risk perception was related to questions about stress and anxiety. In additional cross-sectional samples, we replicated our most important findings. Our open and partly preregistered results provide detailed descriptions of risk perceptions and optimistic beliefs during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in three Western countries.

Source: Royal Society Open Science

DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210904

Authors: Benjamin J. Kuper-Smith, Lisa M. Doppelhofer, Yulia Oganian, Gabriela Rosenblau, Christoph W. Korn

Institutions: Heidelberg University, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Tübingen, George Washington University

Language: English

Topic: Risk Perception and Management

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,471