Situational pathogen avoidance mediates the impact of social connectedness on preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing was one of the more important behaviours for reducing the spread of the virus. The present study investigated the influence on pathogen avoidance of familiarity with other people at private gatherings. Based on the social identity model of risk taking and the theory of the behavioural immune system, we assumed that greater familiarity with others would make people feel more connected with one another and decrease situational pathogen avoidance. This could result in lower perceptions of the risk of contracting COVID-19 and fewer protective behaviours. Two experiments (n1 = 1022, n2 = 994) showed that the negative influence of greater familiarity on the perceived risk of infection and protective behaviour is explained by an increased feeling

SUBMITTER: Taubert F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9912235 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature