The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs.
New technological solutions play an important role in preventing the spread of Covid-19. Many countries have implemented tracking applications or other surveillance systems, which may raise concerns about privacy and civil rights violations but may be also perceived by citizens as a way to reduce th...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238973 |
| _version_ | 1819113967399731200 |
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| author | Anna Wnuk Tomasz Oleksy Dominika Maison |
| author_facet | Anna Wnuk Tomasz Oleksy Dominika Maison |
| author_sort | Anna Wnuk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | New technological solutions play an important role in preventing the spread of Covid-19. Many countries have implemented tracking applications or other surveillance systems, which may raise concerns about privacy and civil rights violations but may be also perceived by citizens as a way to reduce threat and uncertainty. Our research examined whether feelings evoked by the pandemic (perceived threat and lack of control) as well as more stable ideological views predict the acceptance of such technologies. In two studies conducted in Poland, we found that perceived personal threat and lack of personal control were significantly positively related to the acceptance of surveillance technologies, but their predictive value was smaller than that of individual differences in authoritarianism and endorsement of liberty. Moreover, we found that the relationship between the acceptance of surveillance technologies and both perceived threat and lack of control was particularly strong among people high in authoritarianism. Our research shows that the negative feelings evoked by the unprecedented global crisis may inspire positive attitudes towards helpful but controversial surveillance technologies but that they do so to a lesser extent than ideological beliefs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:37:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1da6f614c3344d24b28751ee38a19d03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:37:49Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-1da6f614c3344d24b28751ee38a19d032022-12-21T18:38:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01159e023897310.1371/journal.pone.0238973The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs.Anna WnukTomasz OleksyDominika MaisonNew technological solutions play an important role in preventing the spread of Covid-19. Many countries have implemented tracking applications or other surveillance systems, which may raise concerns about privacy and civil rights violations but may be also perceived by citizens as a way to reduce threat and uncertainty. Our research examined whether feelings evoked by the pandemic (perceived threat and lack of control) as well as more stable ideological views predict the acceptance of such technologies. In two studies conducted in Poland, we found that perceived personal threat and lack of personal control were significantly positively related to the acceptance of surveillance technologies, but their predictive value was smaller than that of individual differences in authoritarianism and endorsement of liberty. Moreover, we found that the relationship between the acceptance of surveillance technologies and both perceived threat and lack of control was particularly strong among people high in authoritarianism. Our research shows that the negative feelings evoked by the unprecedented global crisis may inspire positive attitudes towards helpful but controversial surveillance technologies but that they do so to a lesser extent than ideological beliefs.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238973 |
| spellingShingle | Anna Wnuk Tomasz Oleksy Dominika Maison The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs. PLoS ONE |
| title | The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs. |
| title_full | The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs. |
| title_fullStr | The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs. |
| title_short | The acceptance of Covid-19 tracking technologies: The role of perceived threat, lack of control, and ideological beliefs. |
| title_sort | acceptance of covid 19 tracking technologies the role of perceived threat lack of control and ideological beliefs |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238973 |
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