Abstract
To reduce the spread of COVID-19 transmission, government agencies in the United States (US) recommended precautionary guidelines, including wearing masks and social distancing to encourage the prevention of the disease. However, compliance with these guidelines has been inconsistent. This correlational study examined whether individual differences in risky decision-making and motivational propensities predicted compliance with COVID-19 preventative behaviors in a sample of US adults (N = 404). Participants completed an online study from September through December 2020 that included a risky choice decision-making task, temporal discounting task, and measures of appropriate mask-wearing, social distancing, and perceived risk of engaging in public activities. Linear regression results indicated that greater temporal discounting and risky decision-making were associated with less appropriate mask-wearing behavior and social distancing. Additionally, demographic factors, including personal experience with COVID-19 and financial difficulties due to COVID-19, were also associated with differences in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. Path analysis results showed that risky decision-making behavior, temporal discounting, and risk perception collectively predicted 55% of the variance in appropriate mask-wearing behavior. Individual differences in general decision-making patterns are therefore highly predictive of who complies with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
Highlights
In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, normal social activities like going to the mall or meeting with friends engender a certain level of risk
This study examines the relationship between COVID-19 preventative behaviors and individual differences in four classic judgment and decision-making constructs: decision-making under risk, risk perception, the optimism bias, and temporal discounting
Prior H1N1 and COVID-19 research has observed age differences in virus risk perception [37, 41, 80], the present study found no significant relationship between age and preventative behaviors or risk perception of engaging in public activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, normal social activities like going to the mall or meeting with friends engender a certain level of risk. COVID-19, or coronavirus, is a contagious respiratory virus that spreads through close-contact airborne and droplet transmission [1]. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people wear face masks, avoid nonessential indoor activities, engage in social distancing by staying at least six feet apart from other people when in public places, and avoid inperson gatherings [2]. Americans have exhibited mixed responses to these guidelines.
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