A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-suppor

SUBMITTER: Psychological Science Accelerator Self-Determination Theory Collaboration 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9295806 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature