Influential ethical aspects of Covid19 in multidimensions

Abstract

The COVID19 pandemic poses an exceptional challenge for humanity. Because public behavior is key to curbing the pandemic at an early stage, it is important for social psychological researchers to use their knowledge to promote behaviors that help manage the crisis. Here, we identify human values as particularly important in driving both behavioral compliance to government guidelines and promoting prosocial behaviors to alleviate the strains arising from a prolonged pandemic. Existing evidence demonstrates the importance of human values, and the extent to which fellow citizens, for tackling the COVID19 crisis, share them. Individuals who attach higher importance to self‐transcendence (e.g., responsibility) and conservation (e.g., security) values are likely to be more compliant with COVID19 behavioral guidelines and to help others who are struggling with the crisis. Further, believing that fellow citizens share one's values has found to elicit a sense of connectedness that may be crucial in promoting collective efforts to contain the pandemic. The abstract nature of values, and cross-cultural agreement on their importance, suggests that they are ideally suited to developing and tailoring effective, global interventions to combat this pandemic