Perception of strong social norms during the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to positive psychological outcomes.

ABSTRACT: Social norms can coordinate individuals and groups during collective threats. Pandemic-related social norms (e.g., wearing masks, social distancing) emerged to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, little is known about the psychological consequences of the emerging norms. We conducted three experiments cross-culturally, during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic in China (Study 1), the recovery period in China (Study 2), and the severe period in the United States and Canada (Study 3). Across the three studies, we first distinguished the opposite effects of social norms and risk perception on individuals' psychological characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic and further revealed that individuals who perceived stronger pandemic norms reported a lower level of COVID-19 risk percep

SUBMITTER: Liu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9305059 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature