- Browse by Author
Browsing by Author "El Zein, Marwa"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Trust in science boosts approval, but not following of COVID-19 rules(2021-03) Sulik, Justin; Deroy, Ophelia; Dezecache, Guillaume; Newson, Martha; Zhao, Yi; El Zein, Marwa; Tunçgenç, Bahar; Biostatistics, School of Public HealthHow essential is trust in science to prevent the spread of COVID-19? Previous work shows that people who trust in science are more likely to comply with official guidelines, which suggests that higher levels of compliance could be achieved by improving trust in science. However, analysis of a global dataset (n=4341) suggests otherwise. Trust in science had a small, indirect effect on adherence to the rules. It affected adherence only insofar as it predicted people's approval of prevention measures such as social distancing. Trust in science also mediated the relationship between political ideology and approval of the measures (more conservative people trusted science less and in turn approved of the measures less). These effects varied across countries, and were especially different in the USA. Overall, these results mean that any increase in trust in science is unlikely to yield strong immediate improvements in following COVID-19 rules. Nonetheless, given its relationships with both ideology and individuals' attitudes to the measures, trust in science may be leveraged to yield longer-term and more sustained social benefits.Item We distance most when we believe our social circle does(Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science, 2020-08-05) Tuncgenc, Bahar; El Zein, Marwa; Sulik, Justin; Newson, Martha; Zhao, Yi; Dezecache, Guillaume; Deroy, Ophelia; Biostatistics, School of Public HealthWhy do we adopt new rules, such as social distancing? While decades of psychology research stresses the importance of social influence on individual behaviour, many COVID-19 campaigns focused on convincing individuals that distancing is the right thing to do. In a global dataset (114 countries, n=6674), we investigated how social influences predict people’s adherence to distancing rules during the pandemic. Analyses showed that people practised distancing more when they thought their close social circle did so; this social influence mattered more than people thinking distancing was the right thing. People’s adherence also aligned with their fellow citizens’, but only if they deeply bonded with their country. Personal vulnerability to the disease predicted distancing more for people with larger social circles. Empathy, collective efficacy and collectivism also significantly predicted distancing. During crises, policymakers can achieve behavioural change by emphasising shared values and harnessing the social influence of close friends and relatives.