| Popis: |
Slowing the spread of COVID-19 requires people to actively change their lives and follow best practices for social distancing and hygiene. Optimistic beliefs about the personal impact of COVID-19 could increase or decrease compliance with precautionary actions such as social distancing. Insights on adaptive or maladaptive consequences of optimistic beliefs might lead to better forecasts and policies. Additionally, research on optimism about COVID-19 can inform theories on optimism in general. In the case of COVID-19, Optimistic beliefs about COVID-19 might change in unprecedented manners due to the rapid, severe, and wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a pilot study, we tested individuals’ beliefs about infection probabilities and anticipated social distancing practices in the UK, the USA and in Germany on 16.03.2020, i.e., before strict curfews had been implemented in these countries (see a preprint for an initial summary of these pilot data https://psyarxiv.com/epcyb/). Individuals estimated the probability of getting infected with COVID-19, and of infecting others if infected as lower for themselves than for a similar other. This optimism could be linked to the estimated frequency of direct social contacts as well as to the necessity and ease of reducing these. |
