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Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.

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Meta-analysis is a primary avenue for the development of cumulative knowledge and an essential step in the process theory testing. It provides a more specific quantitative understanding of a subject while correcting for sampling and measurement errors. This project is a modest first attempt to extend existing meta-analytic work on the effect of gain-versus loss-framed messages to charity advertising research. A meta-analysis of 27 studies (k = 40, N = 9,298) finds that gain-framed and lossframed appeals do not differ significantly on persuasiveness in charity advertising. The random-effects model reveals a mean r of .002 (95% CI −0.061-0.064, p = .96) after correcting for sampling and measurement errors. A re-analysis (k = 38) excluding two outliers yielded a mean r of .03 (95% CI −0.022-.073, p = .29). Among published studies (k = 32), there was tentative indication pointing to the slight advantage of gain-framed appeals. The framing effect does not differ by which type of donation the message calls for (monetary vs. organ), nor is it affected by moderators such as study setting and population. The little difference finding echoes previous conceptual and empirical work and calls for more work identifying moderating factors and boundary conditions on framing research. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.

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