Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.

Differences in national responses to COVID-19 have been associated with the cultural value of collectivism. The present research builds on these findings by examining the relationship between collectivism at the individual level and adherence to public health recommendations to combat COVID-19 durin...

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Main Authors: Suyi Leong, Kimin Eom, Keiko Ishii, Marion C Aichberger, Karolina Fetz, Tim S Müller, Heejung S Kim, David K Sherman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275388
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author Suyi Leong
Kimin Eom
Keiko Ishii
Marion C Aichberger
Karolina Fetz
Tim S Müller
Heejung S Kim
David K Sherman
author_facet Suyi Leong
Kimin Eom
Keiko Ishii
Marion C Aichberger
Karolina Fetz
Tim S Müller
Heejung S Kim
David K Sherman
author_sort Suyi Leong
collection DOAJ
description Differences in national responses to COVID-19 have been associated with the cultural value of collectivism. The present research builds on these findings by examining the relationship between collectivism at the individual level and adherence to public health recommendations to combat COVID-19 during the pre-vaccination stage of the pandemic, and examines different characteristics of collectivism (i.e., concern for community, trust in institutions, perceived social norms) as potential psychological mechanisms that could explain greater compliance. A study with a cross-section of American participants (N = 530) examined the relationship between collectivism and opting-in to digital contact tracing (DCT) and wearing face coverings in the general population. More collectivistic individuals were more likely to comply with public health interventions than less collectivistic individuals. While collectivism was positively associated with the three potential psychological mechanisms, only perceived social norms about the proportion of people performing the public health interventions explained the relationship between collectivism and compliance with both public health interventions. This research identifies specific pathways by which collectivism can lead to compliance with community-benefiting public health behaviors to combat contagious diseases and highlights the role of cultural orientation in shaping individuals' decisions that involve a tension between individual cost and community benefit.
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spelling doaj.art-ab6885fec51042b49b024b4bdcfb15032022-12-22T02:28:26ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011711e027538810.1371/journal.pone.0275388Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.Suyi LeongKimin EomKeiko IshiiMarion C AichbergerKarolina FetzTim S MüllerHeejung S KimDavid K ShermanDifferences in national responses to COVID-19 have been associated with the cultural value of collectivism. The present research builds on these findings by examining the relationship between collectivism at the individual level and adherence to public health recommendations to combat COVID-19 during the pre-vaccination stage of the pandemic, and examines different characteristics of collectivism (i.e., concern for community, trust in institutions, perceived social norms) as potential psychological mechanisms that could explain greater compliance. A study with a cross-section of American participants (N = 530) examined the relationship between collectivism and opting-in to digital contact tracing (DCT) and wearing face coverings in the general population. More collectivistic individuals were more likely to comply with public health interventions than less collectivistic individuals. While collectivism was positively associated with the three potential psychological mechanisms, only perceived social norms about the proportion of people performing the public health interventions explained the relationship between collectivism and compliance with both public health interventions. This research identifies specific pathways by which collectivism can lead to compliance with community-benefiting public health behaviors to combat contagious diseases and highlights the role of cultural orientation in shaping individuals' decisions that involve a tension between individual cost and community benefit.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275388
spellingShingle Suyi Leong
Kimin Eom
Keiko Ishii
Marion C Aichberger
Karolina Fetz
Tim S Müller
Heejung S Kim
David K Sherman
Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.
PLoS ONE
title Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.
title_full Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.
title_fullStr Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.
title_full_unstemmed Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.
title_short Individual costs and community benefits: Collectivism and individuals' compliance with public health interventions.
title_sort individual costs and community benefits collectivism and individuals compliance with public health interventions
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275388
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