Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action
IntroductionAcross four countries (Canada, USA, UK, and Italy), we explored the effects of persuasive messages on intended and actual preventive actions related to COVID-19, and the role of emotions as a potential mechanism for explaining these effects.MethodsOne thousand seventy-eight participants...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1047241/full |
| _version_ | 1811173087618531328 |
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| author | Krista Renee Muis Gale M. Sinatra Reinhard Pekrun Panayiota Kendeou Lucia Mason Neil G. Jacobson Wijnand Adriaan Pieter Van Tilburg Ellen Orcutt Sonia Zaccoletti Kelsey M. Losenno |
| author_facet | Krista Renee Muis Gale M. Sinatra Reinhard Pekrun Panayiota Kendeou Lucia Mason Neil G. Jacobson Wijnand Adriaan Pieter Van Tilburg Ellen Orcutt Sonia Zaccoletti Kelsey M. Losenno |
| author_sort | Krista Renee Muis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionAcross four countries (Canada, USA, UK, and Italy), we explored the effects of persuasive messages on intended and actual preventive actions related to COVID-19, and the role of emotions as a potential mechanism for explaining these effects.MethodsOne thousand seventy-eight participants first reported their level of concern and emotions about COVID-19 and then received a positive persuasive text, negative persuasive text, or no text. After reading, participants reported their emotions about the pandemic and their willingness to take preventive action. One week following, the same participants reported the frequency with which they engaged in preventive action and behaviors that increased the risk of contracting COVID-19.ResultsResults revealed that the positive persuasive text significantly increased individuals’ willingness to and actual engagement in preventive action and reduced risky behaviors 1 week following the intervention compared to the control condition. Moreover, significant differences were found between the positive persuasive text condition and negative persuasive text condition whereby individuals who read the positive text were more willing and actually engaged in more preventive action compared to those who read the negative text. No differences were found, however, at the 1-week follow-up for social distancing and isolation behaviors. Results also revealed that specific discrete emotions mediated relations between the effects of the texts and preventive action (both willing and actual).DiscussionThis research highlights the power of educational interventions to prompt behavioral change and has implications for pandemic-related interventions, government policy on health promotion messages, and future research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:42:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50d851bc57bd4133bf202b4667201a20 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:42:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-50d851bc57bd4133bf202b4667201a202023-02-03T11:09:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-12-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10472411047241Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive actionKrista Renee Muis0Gale M. Sinatra1Reinhard Pekrun2Panayiota Kendeou3Lucia Mason4Neil G. Jacobson5Wijnand Adriaan Pieter Van Tilburg6Ellen Orcutt7Sonia Zaccoletti8Kelsey M. Losenno9Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaRossier School of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United KingdomDepartment of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United StatesDepartment of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, Padua, ItalyRossier School of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United KingdomDepartment of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United StatesDepartment of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, Padua, ItalyDepartment of Educational and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaIntroductionAcross four countries (Canada, USA, UK, and Italy), we explored the effects of persuasive messages on intended and actual preventive actions related to COVID-19, and the role of emotions as a potential mechanism for explaining these effects.MethodsOne thousand seventy-eight participants first reported their level of concern and emotions about COVID-19 and then received a positive persuasive text, negative persuasive text, or no text. After reading, participants reported their emotions about the pandemic and their willingness to take preventive action. One week following, the same participants reported the frequency with which they engaged in preventive action and behaviors that increased the risk of contracting COVID-19.ResultsResults revealed that the positive persuasive text significantly increased individuals’ willingness to and actual engagement in preventive action and reduced risky behaviors 1 week following the intervention compared to the control condition. Moreover, significant differences were found between the positive persuasive text condition and negative persuasive text condition whereby individuals who read the positive text were more willing and actually engaged in more preventive action compared to those who read the negative text. No differences were found, however, at the 1-week follow-up for social distancing and isolation behaviors. Results also revealed that specific discrete emotions mediated relations between the effects of the texts and preventive action (both willing and actual).DiscussionThis research highlights the power of educational interventions to prompt behavioral change and has implications for pandemic-related interventions, government policy on health promotion messages, and future research.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1047241/fullsocial persuasioninterventionemotionsCOVID-19cross-cultural research |
| spellingShingle | Krista Renee Muis Gale M. Sinatra Reinhard Pekrun Panayiota Kendeou Lucia Mason Neil G. Jacobson Wijnand Adriaan Pieter Van Tilburg Ellen Orcutt Sonia Zaccoletti Kelsey M. Losenno Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action Frontiers in Psychology social persuasion intervention emotions COVID-19 cross-cultural research |
| title | Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action |
| title_full | Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action |
| title_fullStr | Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action |
| title_short | Flattening the COVID-19 curve: Emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action |
| title_sort | flattening the covid 19 curve emotions mediate the effects of a persuasive message on preventive action |
| topic | social persuasion intervention emotions COVID-19 cross-cultural research |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1047241/full |
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