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A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Andrew Thomas Orcid Logo, Nicole Legate, Thuy-vy Ngyuen, Netta Weinstein, Arlen Moller, Lisa Legault, Zahir Vally, Zuzanna Tajchman, Andras N. Zsido, Miha Zrimsek, Zhang Chen, Ignazio Ziano, Zoi Gialitaki, Chris D. Ceary, Yuna Jang, Yijun Lin, Yoshihiko Kunisato, Yuki Yamada, Qinyu Xiao, Xiaoming Jiang, Xinkai Du, Elvin Yao, William S. Ryan, John Paul Wilson, Wilson Cyrus-Lai, William Jimenez-Leal, Wilbert Law, Wenceslao Unanue, W. Matthew Collins, Karley L. Richard, Marek Vranka, Vladislav Ankushev, Vidar Schei, Chloe DePaola, Veronika Lerche, Vanja Kovic, Valerija Križanić, Veselina Hristova Kadreva, Vera Cubela Adoric, Ulrich S. Tran, Siu Kit Yeung, Widad Hassan, Ralph Houston, Michael A. Machin, Tiago J. S. Lima, Thomas Ostermann, Thomas Frizzo, Therese E. Sverdrup, Thea House, Tripat Gill, Maksim Fedotov, Tamar Paltrow, Teodor Jernsäther, Tasnim Rahman, Tanya Machin, Maria Koptjevskaja-Tamm, Thomas J. Hostler, Tatsunori Ishii, Barnabas Szaszi, Sylwia Adamus, Lilian Suter, Suparpit M. von Bormann, Sumaiya Habib, Anna Studzinska, Dragana Stojanovska, Steve M. J. Janssen, Stefan Stieger, Stefan E. Schulenberg, Srinivasan Tatachari, Soufian Azouaghe, Piotr Sorokowski, Agnieszka Sorokowska, Xin Song, Sofie Morbée, Savannah Lewis, Sladjana Sinkolova, Dmitry Grigoryev, Shira Meir Drexler, Shimrit Daches, Shelby L. Levine, Shawn N. Geniole, Shahunur Akter, Selena Vračar, Sébastien Massoni, Sebastiano Costa, Saša Zorjan, Eylul Sarioguz, Sara Morales Izquierdo, Sarah Suzette Tshonda, Sara G. Alves, Sara Pöntinen, Sara Álvarez Solas, Santiago Ordoñez-Riaño, Sanja Batić Očovaj, Sandersan Onie, Samuel Lins, Theresa Biberauer, Sami Çoksan, Sakda Khumkom, Asli Sacakli, Susana Ruiz-Fernández, Sandra J. Geiger, Saeideh FatahModares, Radoslaw B. Walczak, Ruben Betlehem, Roosevelt Vilar, Rodrigo A. Cárcamo, Robert M. Ross, Randy McCarthy, Tonia Ballantyne, Erin C. Westgate, Richard M. Ryan, Rafael Gargurevich, Reza Afhami, Dongning Ren, Renan P. Monteiro, Ulf-Dietrich Reips, Niv Reggev, Robert J. Calin-Jageman, Razieh Pourafshari, Raquel Oliveira, Mina Nedelcheva-Datsova, Rima-Maria Rahal, Rafael R. Ribeiro, Theda Radtke, Rachel Searston, Rachadaporn Jai-ai, Redeate Habte, Przemysław Zdybek, Sau-Chin Chen, Piyaorn Wajanatinapart, Princess Lovella G. Maturan, Jennifer T. Perillo, Peder Mortvedt Isager, Pavol Kačmár, Paulo Manuel Macapagal, Michael R. Maniaci, Paulina Szwed, Paul H. P. Hanel, Paul A. G. Forbes, Patricia Arriaga, Bastien Paris, Neha Parashar, Konstantinos Papachristopoulos, Pablo Sebastián Correa, Ondřej Kácha, Márcia Bernardo, Olatz Campos, Olalla Niño Bravo, Oscar J. Galindo-Caballero, Chisom Esther Ogbonnaya, Olga Bialobrzeska, Natalia Kiselnikova, Nicolle Simonovic, Noga Cohen, Nora L. Nock, Alejandrina Hernandez, Cecilie Thogersen-Ntoumani, Nikos Ntoumanis, Niklas Johannes, Nihan Albayrak-Aydemir, Nicolas Say, Andreas B. Neubauer, Neil I. Martin, Neil Levy, Nathan Torunsky, Natasha van Antwerpen, Natalia Van Doren, Naoyuki Sunami, Nikolay R. Rachev, Nadyanna M. Majeed, Nadya-Daniela Schmidt, Khaoula Nadif, Nadia S. Corral-Frías, Nihal Ouherrou, Nida Abbas, Myrto Pantazi, Marc Y. Lucas, Martin R. Vasilev, María Victoria Ortiz, Muhammad Mussaffa Butt, Murathan Kurfalı, Muhib Kabir, Rafał Muda, María del Carmen MC Tejada Rivera, Miroslav Sirota, Martin Seehuus, Michal Parzuchowski, Mónica Toro, Monika Hricova, Mónica Alarcón Maldonado, Panagiotis Rentzelas, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Molly A. Metz, Magdalena Marszalek, Maria Karekla, Giovanna Mioni, Minke Jasmijn Bosma, Minja Westerlund, Milica Vdovic, Michal Bialek, Miguel A. Silan, Michele Anne, Michal Misiak, Maria C. Gugliandolo, Maurice Grinberg, Mariagrazia Capizzi, Mauricio F. Espinoza Barría, Merve A. Kurfali, Michael C. Mensink, Mikayel Harutyunyan, Meetu Khosla, Megan R. Dunn, Max Korbmacher, Matúš Adamkovič, Matheus Fernando Felix Ribeiro, Maria Terskova, Matej Hruška, Marcel Martončik, Martine Jansen, Martin Voracek, Martin Čadek, Martha Frias-Armenta, Marta Kowal, Marta Topor, Marta Roczniewska, Marlies Oosterlinck, Markéta Braun Kohlová, Mariola Paruzel-Czachura, Marina Sabristov, Marina Romanova, Marietta Papadatou-Pastou, Maria Louise Lund, Maria Antoniadi, Maria Elena Magrin, Marc V. Jones, Manyu Li, Manuel S. Ortiz, Mathi Manavalan, Abdumalik Muminov, Małgorzata Kossowska, Maja Friedemann, Magdalena Wielgus, Madelon L.M. van Hooff, Marco A. C. Varella, Martyn Standage, Matilde Nicolotti, Melissa F. Colloff, Maria Bradford, Leigh Ann Vaughn, Luis Eudave, Luc Vieira, Jackson G. Lu, Lina Maria Sanabria Pineda, Lennia Matos, Laura Calderón Pérez, Ljiljana B. Lazarevic, Lisa M. Jaremka, Eline Suzanne Smit, Elizaveta Kushnir, Lisa J. Ferguson, Lisa Anton-Boicuk, Gabriel Lins de Holanda Coelho, Lina Ahlgren, Francesca Liga, Carmel A. Levitan, Leticia Micheli, Lesley-Ann Gunton, Leonhard Volz, Marija Stojanovska, Leanne Boucher, Lara Samojlenko, Lady Grey Javela Delgado, Lada Kaliska, Labadi Beatrix, Lara Warmelink, Luis Miguel Rojas-Berscia, Karen Yu, Keith Wylie, Jakub Wachowicz, Kermeka Desai, Krystian Barzykowski, Luca Kozma, Kortnee Evans, Komila Kirgizova, Bamikole B. Emmanuel Agesin, Monica A. Koehn, Kelly Wolfe, Tatiana Korobova, Katherine Morris, Kristoffer Klevjer, Kevin van Schie, Kevin Vezirian, Kaja Damnjanović, Katrine Krabbe Thommesen, Kathleen Schmidt, Katarzyna Filip, Karolina Staniaszek, Karolina Grzech, Karlijn Hoyer, Karis Moon, Sirikon Khaobunmasiri, Kafeel Rana, Kristina Janjić, Jordan W. Suchow, Julita Kielińska, Julio E. Cruz Vásquez, Julien Chanal, Julia Beitner, Juan Camilo Vargas-Nieto, Jose Carlos T. Roxas, Jennifer Taber, Joan Urriago-Rayo, Jeffrey M. Pavlacic, Jozef Benka, Jozef Bavolar, José A. Soto, Jonas K. Olofsson, Johannes K. Vilsmeier, Johanna Messerschmidt, Johanna Czamanski-Cohen, Joachim Waterschoot, Jennifer D. Moss, Jordane Boudesseul, Jeong Min Lee, Julia Kamburidis, Jennifer A. Joy-Gaba, Janis Zickfeld, Jacob F. Miranda, Jeroen P. H. Verharen, Evgeniya Hristova, Julie E. Beshears, Jasna Milosevic Djordjevic, Jasmijn Bosch, Jaroslava Varella Valentova, Jan Antfolk, Jana B. Berkessel, Jana Schrötter, Jan Urban, Jan Philipp Röer, James O. Norton, Jaime R. Silva, Jade S. Pickering, Jáchym Vintr, Jim Uttley, Jonas R. Kunst, Izuchukwu L. G. Ndukaihe, Aishwarya Iyer, Iris Vilares, Aleksandr Ivanov, Ivan Ropovik, Isabela Sula, Irena Sarieva, Irem Metin-Orta, Irina Prusova, Isabel Pinto, Andreea Ioana Bozdoc, Inês A. T. Almeida, Ilse L. Pit, Ilker Dalgar, Ilya Zakharov, Azuka Ikechukwu Arinze, Keiko Ihaya, Ian D. Stephen, Biljana Gjoneska, Hilmar Brohmer, Heather Flowe, Hendrik Godbersen, Halil Emre Kocalar, Mattie V. Hedgebeth, Hu Chuan-Peng, MohammadHasan Sharifian, Harry Manley, Handan Akkas, Nandor Hajdu, Habiba Azab, Gwenael Kaminski, Gustav Nilsonne, Gulnaz Anjum, Giovanni A. Travaglino, Gilad Feldman, Gerit Pfuhl, Gabriela Czarnek, Gabriela Mariana Marcu, Gabriela Hofer, Gabriel Banik, Gabriel Agboola Adetula, Gijsbert Bijlstra, Frederick Verbruggen, Franki Y. H. Kung, Frank Martela, Francesco Foroni, Jacques Forest, Gage Singer, Fany Muchembled, Flavio Azevedo, Farnaz Mosannenzadeh, Evelina Marinova, Eva Štrukelj, Zahra Etebari, Emma L. Bradshaw, Ernest Baskin, Elkin Oswaldo Luis Garcia, Erica Musser, I.M.M. van Steenkiste, El Rim Ahn, Eleanor Quested, Ekaterina Pronizius, Emily A. Jackson, Efisio Manunta, Elena Agadullina, Dušana Šakan, Pinar Dursun, Olivier Dujols, Dmitrii Dubrov, Megan Willis, Murat Tümer, Jennifer L. Beaudry, Dora Popović, Daniel Dunleavy, Ikhlas Djamai, Dino Krupić, Dora Herrera, Diego Vega, Hongfei Du, Débora Mola, Desislava Chakarova, William E. Davis, Dawn Liu Holford, David M. G. Lewis, David C. Vaidis, Daphna Hausman Ozery, Danilo Zambrano Ricaurte, Daniel Storage, Daniela Sousa, Daniela Serrato Alvarez, Daniel Boller, Anna Dalla Rosa, Daliborka Dimova, Dajana Krupić, Dafne Marko, David Moreau, Crystal Reeck, Rita C. Correia, Cassie M. Whitt, Claus Lamm, Claudio Singh Solorzano, Claudia C. von Bastian, Clare AM Sutherland, Clara Overkott, Christopher L. Aberson, Chunhui Wang, Christopher P. Niemiec, Christiana Karashiali, Chris Noone, Faith Chiu, Chiara Picciocchi, Charlotte Brownlow, Cemre Karaarslan, Nicola Cellini, Celia Esteban-Serna, Cecilia Reyna, Cecilia Ferreyra, Carlota Batres, Ranran Li, Caterina Grano, Joelle Carpentier, Christian K. Tamnes, Cynthia H.Y. Fu, Byurakn Ishkhanyan, Lisa Bylinina, Bastian Jaeger, Carsten Bundt, Tara Bulut Allred, Branko J. Vermote, Ahmed Bokkour, Natalia Bogatyreva, Jiaxin Shi, William J. Chopik, Benedict Antazo, Behzad Behzadnia, Maja Becker, Manal M. Bayyat, Beatrice Cocco, Wei-Lun Chou, Vassilis Barkoukis, Barbora Hubena, Barbara Žuro, Balazs Aczel, Ekaterina Baklanova, Hui Bai, Busra Bahar Balci, Peter Babinčák, Bart Soenens, Barnaby James Wyld Dixson, Aviv Mokady, Heather Barry Kappes, Mohammad Atari, Anna Szala, Anna Szabelska, John Jamir Benzon Aruta, Artur Domurat, Nwadiogo Chisom Arinze, Arianna Modena, Arca Adiguzel, Arash Monajem, Kanza AIT EL ARABI, Asil Ali Özdoğru, Alex O. Rothbaum, Adriana Olaya Torres, Andriana Theodoropoulou, Anna Skowronek, Anita Penić Jurković, Anisha Singh, Angelos P. Kassianos, Andrej Findor, Andree Hartanto, Anais Thibault Landry, Ana Ferreira, Anabela Caetano Santos, Anabel De la Rosa-Gomez, Amélie Gourdon-Kanhukamwe, Alexandria M. Luxon, Anna Louise Todsen, Alper Karababa, Allison Janak, Alice Pilato, Alexandre Bran, Alexa M. Tullett, Anna O. Kuzminska, Anthony J. Krafnick, Anum Urooj, Ahmed Khaoudi, Afroja Ahmed, Agata Groyecka-Bernard, Adrian Dahl Askelund, Adeyemi Adetula, Anabel Belaus, Abdelilah Ca Charyate, Aaron L. Wichman, Alina Stoyanova, Anna Greenburgh, Andrew G. Thomas, Alexios Arvanitis, Patrick S. Forscher, Peter R. Mallik, Nicholas A. Coles, Jeremy K. Miller, Hannah Moshontz, Heather L. Urry, Hans IJzerman, Dana M. Basnight-Brown, Charles R. Ebersole, Christopher R. Chartier, Erin M. Buchanan, Maximilian A. Primbs, Andrew G. Thomas Orcid Logo

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume: 119, Issue: 22

Swansea University Authors: Andrew Thomas Orcid Logo, Andrew G. Thomas Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1073/pnas.2111091119

Abstract

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outc...

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Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
ISSN: 0027-8424 1091-6490
Published: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2022
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60250
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Abstract: Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, 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.
Keywords: behavior change; motivation; health communication; COVID-19; self-determination theory
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program grant agreement No 769595 (F. Verbruggen); Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Researchfrom the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP16H03079,JP17H00875, JP18K12015, and JP20H04581 (Y. Yamada); Research Grant Edu-cation University of Hong Kong 28611118 from the Research Grant Council,Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (W. Law); the Japanese Psycho-logical Association, Grant for research and practical activities related to the spreadof the novel coronavirus to (T. Ishii; A. Kunisato; N. Sunami; K. Ihaya); Social Sci-ences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (# 950-224884; T. Gill); Pro-gram FUTURE LEADER of Lorraine Universited’Excellence within the programInvestissements Avenir (ANR-15-IDEX-04-LUE) operated by the French NationalResearch Agency (S. Massoni); the Portuguese National Foundation for Scienceand Technology (UID/PSI/03125/2020; R.R. Ribeiro); the Australian ResearchCouncil (DP180102384; R.M. Ross); a PhD grant from Fundac ̧~aoparaaCi^enciae Tecnologia (PD/BD/150570/2020; R. Oliveira); a French National ResearchAgency“Investissements d’avenir”program grant (ANR-15-IDEX-02) awarded toH. IJzerman (supporting P.S. Forscher); Vidi Grant 452-17-013 from the Nether-lands Organisation for Scientific Research (P.M. Isager); the Slovak Research andDevelopment Agency APVV-19-0284 (P. Kacmar, M. Hricova); the SlovakResearch and Development (project number APVV-17-0418; P. Babincak); thePortuguese National Foundation for Science and Technology (UID/PSI/03125/2020; P. Arriaga); the Huo Family Foundation (N. Johannes); the research grantprogram“Dipartimenti di Eccellenza”from the Italian Ministry of Education, Uni-versity and Research (MIUR) to the Department of General Psychology of the Uni-versity of Padua (N. Cellini; G. Mioni); CAPES (Coordenac ̧~ao de Aperfeic ̧oamentode Pessoal de Nıvel Superior), number PNPD 3002010037P0–MEC/CAPES(M.A. Varella); Charles University Research Programme "Progres" Q18(M. Vranka); Polish National Science Center & Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftBeethoven grant (2016/23/G/HS6/01775; M. Parzuchowski); the Foundation forPolish Science (A. Groyecka-Bernard; M. Misiak); Polish National Science Centre(2020/36/T/HS6/00256; M. Misiak; 2020/36/T/HS6/00254; A. Groyecka-Ber-nard); Research Grant from Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University(M. Kossowska, G. Czarnek, P. Szwed), Slovak Research and Development AgencyAPVV-18-0140 (M. Martoncik); the Slovak Research and Development Agencyunder grant contract no. APVV-17-0596 (M. Hruska); Slovak Research and Devel-opment Agency APVV-20-0319 (M. Adamkovic); NSF #1734815 - NRT-UtB:"Graduate Training Program in Sensory Science: Optimizing the InformationAvailable for Mind and Brain", grant from NSF to University of Minnesota(M. Manavalan); Rubicon Grant (019.183SG.007) from the Netherlands Organi-sation for Scientific Research (K. van Schie); the National Science Centre, Poland(grant no: UMO-2019/35/B/HS6/00528; K. Barzykowski); National Agency ofResearch and Development Millennium Science Initiative /Millennium Institutefor Research on Depression and Personality-MIDAP ICS13_005 FONDECYT1191708 (J.R. Silva); Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (2016:0229; J.K.Olofsson); the Slovak Research and Development Agency APVV-15-0662(J.Benka); the Sherwin Early Career Professor in the Rock Ethics Institute(J.A. Soto); Penn State's Office of the Senior Faculty Mentor (J.A. Soto); GermanNational Academic Foundation (J. Berkessel); the ScientificGrantAgencyoftheSlovak Republic under the grant No. VEGA 1/0748/19 (J. Bavolar); Chair for Pub-lic Trust in Health, Grenoble Ecole de Management (I. Ziano); PRIMUS/20/HUM/009 (I. Ropovik); Tufts University (H. Urry); the National Institute of MentalHealth T32MN018931 (H. Moshontz); APVV-17-0418 (G. Banik); J. William Ful-bright Program (F. Azevedo); the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme Venifrom the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research—Division for the SocialSciences 451-15-028 (E.S. Smit); Amazon Web Services Imagine Grant(E.M. Buchanan); the Basic Research Program at HSE University, RF (D. Grigor-yev); the Basic Research Program at HSE University, RF (D. Dubrov), the BasicResearch Program at HSE University, RF (E. Agadullina). Contract no. APVV-18-0140 ; the Research Council of Norway 288083, 223273 (C.K. Tamnes); theSouth-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority 2019069, 2021070, 500189(C.K. Tamnes); the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority grant no.2020023 (A. Askelund); EFOP-3.6.1.-16-2016-00004,UNKP-21-4 and NKFIH“OTKA”PD-137588 by the National Research, Development and InnovationFund (A.N. Zsido); Faculty Development Grant from Dominican University(A. Krafnick & R. Calin-Jageman); Portuguese National Foundation for Scienceand Technology SFRH/BD/126304/2016 (A.C. Santos); the statutory funds of theUniversity of Wroclaw (A. Sorokowska); CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for BiomedicalImaging and Translational Research funding by the Portuguese National Foundation for Science and Technology (grant agreement ref. UIDP/4950/2020;I. Almeida, A. Ferreira, D. Sousa); PhD grant co-funded by the PortugueseNational Foundation for Science and Technology and the European Social Fund(Ref. 2020.08597.BD; A. Ferreira); Horizon 2020 Research Project (Europeangrant agreement ID: 731827, STIPED - Stimulation in Pediatrics - Transcranialbrain stimulation as innovative therapy for chronic pediatric neuropsychiatric dis-orders; D. Sousa); Internal funding from Kingston University (A. Gourdon-Kanhu-kamwe); the Slovak Research and Development Agency under grant contract no.APVV-17-0596 (A. Findor); Pacifica and the Association Nationale RechercheTechnologie through CIFRE (Conventions Industrielles de Formation par laRecherche) grant 2017/0245 (A. Bran); Scholarships of the President of Wrocław Wincenty Stys scholarship in thefield of humanities and social sciences, 2021/2022; Marta Kowal); Special Research Fund of Ghent University grant (COV035-20 BOF; B. Soenens and M. Vansteenkiste); a special grant from the Associationfor Psychological Science (to the Psychological Science Accelerator).
Issue: 22

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