Perceptions of personal and public risk: Dissociable effects on behavior and well-being.

ABSTRACT: When faced with a global threat peoples' perception of risk guides their response. When danger is to the self as well as to others two risk estimates are generated-to the self and to others. Here, we set out to examine how people's perceptions of health risk to the self and others are related to their psychological well-being and behavioral response. To that end, we surveyed a large representative sample of Americans facing the COVID-19 pandemic at two times (N₁ = 1145, N₂ = 683). We found that people perceived their own risk to be relatively low, while estimating the risk to others as relatively high. These risk estimates were differentially associated with psychological well-being and behavior. In particular, perceived personal but not public risk was associated wit

SUBMITTER: Globig LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8976215 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature