Perception of risk and optimism barriers in behavior during coronavirus
Health psychologists and sociologists investigate comparative optimism
for infection and recovery from COVID-19

Date:
October 13, 2020
Source:
King's College London
Summary:
Until a vaccine and/or effective cure for COVID-19 becomes
available, battling the current pandemic strongly relies on how
well people follow behavioural advice, such as adhering to local
restrictions, social distancing rules, and engaging in effective
personal hygiene.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Until a vaccine and/or effective cure for COVID-19 becomes available,
battling the current pandemic strongly relies on how well people follow behavioural advice, such as adhering to local restrictions, social
distancing rules, and engaging in effective personal hygiene. However, overcoming the relationship between risk perceptions and comparative
optimism during the pandemic is a major hurdle for engaging the public
in behavioural advice.


==========================================================================
In a paper published in the journal Health Expectations, Health
Psychologists and Sociologists from King's College London investigated comparative optimism for infection and recovery from COVID-19, and the implications this may have had on following lockdown advice. The study
found that during the first lockdown period, most respondents believed
that compared to others, they were unlikely to be at risk of COVID-19.

Dr Koula Asimakopoulou, Reader in Health Psychology at King's College
London explains: "Comparative optimism is a well-established concept
in health risk research, where people believe negative events are more
likely to happen to others than themselves. Most people of all genders
and ages show comparative optimism for a wide variety of risks, including
many health hazards. For example, most people believe that they are less
likely than others to be involved in a car accident." Researchers believe
that comparative optimism may have brought out the anecdotally observed,
lack of compliance with lockdown guidelines in the UK.

Despite public agreement for safety measures, 25% of the inhabitants of
some areas admitted breaking lockdown rules. It is thought that people
who perceive COVID-19 is less likely to happen to them than others may
also believe strict adherence to lockdown restrictions is unnecessary
in their case.

Using an online snowball sampling method through social media and
anonymous UK surveys, researchers collected data from 645 UK adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed
in terms of age, and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile.

"Controllability of COVID-19 risk has been a prominent factor of the UK Government Public Health advice" said Dr Sasha Scambler, Senior Lecturer
in Sociology at King's College London. "At the start of the lockdown the Government communication focused on the idea that staying home would have direct positive impacts on curbing COVID-19. The slogans Stay Alert,
Control the Virus, Save Lives had at their heart the idea that this
pandemic was controllable by individuals taking personal action. However, greater perceived controllability of an event enhances the likelihood
of greater comparative optimism." In contrast, participants showed
comparative pessimism about COVID-19 infections for the more distant
future. They felt that compared to others, they were quite likely to
contract the virus in the next year and develop COVID-19 related symptoms,
as staying at home would be less possible, plausible or practical.

"These perceptions will have important consequences for people's
psychological well-being, and their likelihood of engaging in risk
behaviours or responding to further lockdown measures which may soon be
upon us," said Dr Asimakopoulou.

"If people continue to believe COVID-19 'will not happen to me' they
may be more relaxed about future lockdown advice. We know that one of
the factors that fuel comparative optimism is that people think that
if a negative event has not happened to them so far, it is unlikely to
happen to them in future.

"The implication for potentially walking into a second lockdown is that
where people's experience so far may be that they have not been ill
with COVID, they are likely to be even more comparatively optimistic
than they were in March.

Thinking that COVID has not happened to you so far so it is unlikely
to happen to you now, can be even more dangerous than it was earlier in
the spring."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by King's_College_London. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Koula Asimakopoulou, Vera Hoorens, Ewen Speed, Neil S. Coulson,
Dominika
Antoniszczak, Fran Collyer, Eliane Deschrijver, Leslie Dubbin,
Denise Faulks, Rowena Forsyth, Vicky Goltsi, Ivan Harslo/f,
Kristian Larsen, Irene Manaras, Dorota Olczak‐Kowalczyk,
Karen Willis, Tatiana Xenou, Sasha Scambler. Comparative optimism
about infection and recovery from COVID‐19; Implications
for adherence with lockdown advice.

Health Expectations, 2020; DOI: 10.1111/hex.13134 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201013124116.htm

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