A recent survey conducted by the University of Michigan (UM) found that people who said social distancing and COVID-safety guidelines violated their personal freedoms responded more positively to these ideas when they felt a loved one might be at risk of severe illness for COVID-19.
The researchers surveyed 1,074 people across the United States about their attitudes toward the coronavirus. They discovered two distinct sets of attitudes toward social distancing: positive beliefs that largely mirror public health messaging; and negative beliefs including the idea that social distancing violates individual rights and freedoms.
They found that concern about a loved one's risk of severe COVID-19 infection was tied to both higher positive attitudes and lower negative attitudes toward social distancing. When people considered their own personal risk, they had higher positive attitudes but it did not impact their negative attitudes.
"When people think about what protective behaviors to follow, negative beliefs -- the perception of external control-- override positive beliefs. This means that simply repeating that people should follow public health guidelines is unlikely to be effective," said study author Kenneth Resnicow, professor of health behavior and health education at the UM School of Public Health.
"However, our data show that when people consider being a protector for others, they approach risk differently. They are less likely to let their personal beliefs and politics discourage them from practicing COVID protection. Emphasizing the act of protecting others may help people who would otherwise be reluctant to practice COVID protection to feel independent and strong, rather than compliant or obedient."
"The prospect of losing someone is even more terrible knowing that we could be in the homestretch of this pandemic," Resnicow said. "With vaccines on the horizon, it's more important than ever to follow social distancing measures to help end COVID-19 sooner."
According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 percent of the population is considered at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. People with chronic health issues are 12 times more likely to die from COVID-19.
The survey was posted on UM's website on Friday.
