TY - JOUR
T1 - A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Psychological Science Accelerator Self-Determination Theory Collaboration
AU - Legate, Nicole
AU - Nguyen, Thuy Vy
AU - Weinstein, Netta
AU - Moller, Arlen
AU - Legault, Lisa
AU - Vally, Zahir
AU - Tajchman, Zuzanna
AU - Zsido, Andras N.
AU - Zrimsek, Miha
AU - Chen, Zhang
AU - Ziano, Ignazio
AU - Gialitaki, Zoi
AU - Basnight-Brown, Dana M.
AU - Ceary, Chris D.
AU - Jang, Yuna
AU - IJzerman, Hans
AU - Lin, Yijun
AU - Kunisato, Yoshihiko
AU - Yamada, Yuki
AU - Xiao, Qinyu
AU - Jiang, Xiaoming
AU - Du, Xinkai
AU - Yao, Elvin
AU - Ryan, William S.
AU - Wilson, John Paul
AU - Cyrus-Lai, Wilson
AU - Jimenez-Leal, William
AU - Law, Wilbert
AU - Unanue, Wenceslao
AU - Collins, W. Matthew
AU - Richard, Karley L.
AU - Vranka, Marek
AU - Ankushev, Vladislav
AU - Schei, Vidar
AU - Lerche, Veronika
AU - Kovic, Vanja
AU - Krizanic, Valerija
AU - Kadreva, Veselina Hristova
AU - Adoric, Vera Cubela
AU - Tran, Ulrich S.
AU - Yeung, Siu Kit
AU - Hassan, Widad
AU - Houston, Ralph
AU - Urry, Heather L.
AU - Machin, Michael A.
AU - Lima, Tiago J.S.
AU - Ostermann, Thomas
AU - Frizzo, Thomas
AU - Sverdrup, Therese E.
AU - Anjum, Gulnaz
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/5/31
Y1 - 2022/5/31
N2 - Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This crosscountry, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one's core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people's existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges.
AB - Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This crosscountry, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one's core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people's existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges.
KW - behavior change
KW - COVID-19
KW - health communication
KW - motivation
KW - self-determination theory
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85144754055
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2111091119
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2111091119
M3 - Article
C2 - 35622891
AN - SCOPUS:85144754055
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 119
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 22
M1 - e2111091119
ER -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being