Social Psychology of Coronavirus Disease 2019: Do Fatalism and Comparative Optimism Affect Attitudes and Adherence to Sanitary Protocols?

Trond Nordfjaern,Milad Mehdizadeh,Mohsen Fallah Zavareh

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.623005

Trond Nordfjaern, Milad Mehdizadeh + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.623005

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Abstract

The potential of mitigating the spreading rate and consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) currently depends on adherence to sanitary protocols (e.g., hand hygiene and social distancing). The current study aimed to investigate the role of fatalism and comparative optimism for adherence to COVID-19 protocols. We also tested whether these factors are directly associated with adherence or associated through attitudinal mediation. The results were based on a web survey conducted among university students (n = 370) in Tehran, Iran. The respondents completed a multidimensional measure of fatalism (general fatalism, internality, and luck) and measures of comparative optimism, attitudes toward COVID-19 health measures, and adherence. The estimated structural equation model explained approximately 40% of the total variance in attitudes toward COVID-19 protocols and adherence. As expected, high internality was associated with stronger adherence, whereas luck was associated with weaker adherence. Comparative optimism was more strongly associated with adherence than fatalism, and somewhat unexpectedly comparative optimism was associated with stronger adherence. Analyses of direct and indirect effects suggested that fatalism was mainly mediated through attitudes, whereas comparative optimism had both direct and mediated effects. The findings are discussed in relation to the role of these social psychological factors for COVID-19 mitigation.

Highlights

During the rapid worldwide spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) in the early phases of the year 2020, several sanitary protocols were introduced
The internality dimension of fatalism was related to higher comparative optimism, more health-promoting attitudes toward COVID-19 measures, and stronger adherence to sanitary protocols
The current study has shown that the social psychological factors of fatalism and comparative optimism may be of importance for adherence to the COVID-19 sanitary protocols

Summary

Introduction

During the rapid worldwide spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) in the early phases of the year 2020, several sanitary protocols were introduced. These protocols were established to contain the spread of the virus in the lack of established first-line treatment and an effective vaccine. Tehran in Iran was one of the most severely affected areas in the early stages of the pandemic, and the figures have remained consistently high, with approximately 8,000 incidents per day as of mid-March 2021 (Johns Hopkins University Centre, 2021) This renders Tehran an interesting case for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) research

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