Containing COVID-19 by Matching Messages on Social Distancing to Emergent Mindsets-The Case of North America.

Nick Bellissimo,Gillie Gabay,Attila Gere,Howard Moskowitz,Michaela Kucab

doi:10.3390/ijerph17218096

Abstract

Public compliance with social distancing is key to containing COVID-19, yet there is a lack of knowledge on which communication ‘messages’ drive compliance. Respondents (224 Canadians and Americans) rated combinations of messages about compliance, systematically varied by an experimental design. Independent variables were perceived risk; the agent communicating the policy; specific social distancing practices; and methods to enforce compliance. Response patterns to each message suggest three mindset segments in each country reflecting how a person thinks. Two mindsets, the same in Canada and the US, were ‘tell me exactly what to do,’ and ‘pandemic onlookers.’ The third was ‘bow to authority’ in Canada, and ‘tell me how’ in the US. Each mindset showed different messages strongly driving compliance. To effectively use messaging about compliance, policy makers may assign any person or group in the population to the appropriate mindset segment by using a Personal Viewpoint Identifier that we developed.

Highlights

Scientists and policy makers have been concerned about the emergence of an influenza pandemic for which there is neither a strain-specific vaccine nor sufficient antiviral medications [1].Social distancing is effective in reducing infection rates within communities [2,3,4,5]
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the specific communication messages that have the potential to act as drivers of compliance to social distancing
We present only messages with positive coefficients, driving agreement with compliance

Summary

Introduction

Social distancing is effective in reducing infection rates within communities [2,3,4,5]. Local governments across the world impose four practices of social distancing including isolation of people with probable influenza; voluntary home quarantine for people with confirmed or probable influenza; preventing the congregation of people in community or employment settings; and social distancing of adults [4,7,8]. Logistical and ethical limitations of social distancing have affected compliance [5]. Compliance with the policy of social distancing may maintain the resilience of communities. Designing communication interventions may reduce the burden of the psychological and social consequences of social distancing and reduce trauma that may transcend

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Conclusion