Replication and extension of framing effects to compliance with health behaviors during pandemics

Outbreaks of infectious diseases represent a significant challenge for health authorities around the world. Public cooperation and compliance with health recommendations constitute critical steps to stop the spread of such diseases. But how should these recommendations be framed to achieve the most desirable outcomes? Across two experiments, we show that the classic Asian Disease Problem (Tversy and Kahneman, 1981) is replicable, regardless of disease type (real vs. hypothetical). Thus, people are less (vs. more) willing to take risks when information is positively (negatively) framed, irrespective of disease type, although they are generally more risk-averse in real pandemics. Furthermore, people high (vs. low) in emotionality are more willing to comply with preventive health behaviors when information is framed positively (vs. negatively), but only in the case of a real disease. These findings provide a range of insights into the design and management of health recommendations aimed at promoting public health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Pandemic Prevention and Personality Psychology: Gender Differences in Preventive Health Behaviors during COVID-19 and the Roles of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness

One of greatest public health crises in recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic, has come with a myriad of challenges in terms of health communication and public cooperation to prevent the spread of the disease. Understanding which are the key determinants that make certain individuals more cooperative is key in effectively tackling pandemics and similar future challenges. In the present study (N = 800), we investigated whether gender differences in compliance with preventive health behaviors (PHB) at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic could be established, and, if so, whether the personality traits of agreeableness and conscientiousness can help explain this presumed relationship. Consistent with our theorizing, we found women to score higher than men on agreeableness and conscientiousness, and to be more willing to comply with a set of PHB. Importantly, both personality traits were found to mediate the gender-compliance link. This means that women's greater compliance levels with PHB could, at least in part, be attributed to their higher agreeableness and conscientiousness scores. A greater understanding of the determinants of PHB in terms of gender and associated personality traits may help identify options for developing more effective communication campaigns, both in terms of communication channel selection and message content.

Selfless or Selfish? The impact of message framing and egoistic motivation on narcissists' compliance with preventive health behaviors during COVID-19.

COVID-19 is one of the greatest international health crises in recent years. Due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, the World Health Organization has recommended that people comply with a set of preventive measures to reduce the infection rate (e.g., social distancing, wearing a face mask, thorough personal hygiene). However, people typically differ in the extent to which they are willing to comply with such recommendations, as they imply certain personal restrictions. The present study aimed to investigate whether narcissism levels and message framing strategies affect individuals' willingness to accept personal restrictions and, consequently, comply with a set of preventive health behaviors. Results reveal that people high (vs. low) in grandiose narcissism are less likely to accept personal restrictions and comply with preventive health behaviors, with negative (vs. positive) message framing constituting a more effective strategy for convincing such individuals to comply with said restrictions and behaviors. This effect can be explained through a more pronounced willingness of participants high in grandiose narcissism to accept personal restrictions to protect themselves (egoistic motivation) but not through a willingness to protect vulnerable people (altruistic motivation). Our findings suggest that individuals who remain uncooperative during pandemics could be more effectively addressed with adapted message framing strategies and incentives tailor-made for their distinct personalities.

Replication and extension of framing effects to compliance with health behaviors during pandemics

Outbreaks of infectious diseases represent a significant challenge for health authorities around the world. Public cooperation and compliance with health recommendations constitute critical steps to stop the spread of such diseases. But how should these recommendations be framed to achieve the most desirable outcomes? Across two experiments, we show that the classic Asian Disease Problem (Tversy and Kahneman, 1981) is replicable, regardless of disease type (real vs. hypothetical). Thus, people are less (vs. more) willing to take risks when information is positively (negatively) framed, irrespective of disease type, although they are generally more risk-averse in real pandemics. Furthermore, people high (vs. low) in emotionality are more willing to comply with preventive health behaviors when information is framed positively (vs. negatively), but only in the case of a real disease. These findings provide a range of insights into the design and management of health recommendations aimed at promoting public health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Self-isolation for the self-centered: Negative framing increases narcissists' willingness to self-isolate during COVID-19 through higher response efficacy.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has come with various health recommendations restricting personal freedom, such as social distancing and self-isolation. Considering the personal sacrifices involved, not all individuals are equally willing to comply with such recommendations, which might pose a health hazard further down the line. In a high-powered study (N = 800), we show that individual differences in narcissism influence the willingness to self-isolate during pandemics, with individuals high (vs. low) in narcissism being less willing to self-isolate. However, this tendency can be offset by tailored message framing. Specifically, individuals high (vs. low) in narcissism are more (vs. less) willing to self-isolate when information is framed negatively (vs. positively); an effect mediated by the perceived response efficiency of social distancing during outbreaks of infectious diseases. Hence, taking individual differences in narcissism into account when developing tailored communication campaigns constitute a promising way to combat the current pandemic.