Work

Compliance and Reactance in the Face of Authority Advice: An Experiment on Religious Gatherings in India during COVID-19

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: During the COVID-19 crisis, religious gatherings became known as ‘super spreader’ events. This vignette experiment in India ( n = 1040) tested the impact of advice from five types of authorities on individuals’ willingness to attend such events. We found no overall evidence of compliance (H1) or reactance (H2). However, advice from scientists triggered reactance among those who distrusted them, supporting Hypothesis 3. In addition, individuals with lower generalized trust were less willing to attend, likely due to scepticism about others’ adherence to safety protocols. This suggests that low trust operates as a self-protective mechanism in high-risk social contexts.

Source: Journal of Asian and African Studies

DOI: 10.1177/00219096251365457

Authors: Hasan Muhammad Baniamin, Lawrence McKay

Institutions: North South University, University of Southampton

Language: English

Topic: Psychology of Social Influence

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Economic and Social Research Council