Effect of Information Framing on Wearing Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Interaction With Social Norms and Information Credibility

Abstract

ObjectiveThe main objectives of this study were to use the effect of information framing (different expressions of the same issue, e.g., positive messages and negative messages) to explore key factors that influence the attitude of and intention of the public toward wearing masks and to understand the internal and external factors of intervention on information framing perception.MethodsThis study performed an online questionnaire survey to explore the influence of demographic characteristics, information framing, social norms, and information credibility on the attitude of the public toward masks and their intention to wear them.Results(1) Information framing had a significant impact on the attitudes of people toward masks and their intention to wear them, and the persuasion effect of gain-framed messages was higher than that of loss-framed messages. (2) Gender, income, occupation, educational background, and residence have no significant difference in attitude and intention to wear masks. There was a significant correlation between age and wearing of masks (p = 0.041 < 0.05). (3) Social norms affected people's perception of information framing and their attitude toward wearing masks, but only the impact of loss-framed messages on intention was significant. (4) Information framing affected people's perception of information credibility, which had a positive impact on their intention to wear masks; however, information credibility only had a significant impact on attitude toward wearing masks under the gain-framed messages and played an intermediary role.ConclusionThe impact of information framing on the attitude of people toward masks and their intention to wear them varies. Individuals involved in the publicity of health information related to this issue should pay attention to the influence of information framing and content on the public wearing masks as a means of enhancing public health awareness.

The role of conspiracy mentality, reactance, and anxiety in the effectiveness of gain- vs. loss-framed messages promoting COVID-19 protective measures: Is vaccination different?

“…Neumer and her collaborators (2022) found that while framing had no significant effect on the physical distancing intention in an imaginary scenario, in a field experiment conducted in a local supermarket the framing effect was significant: loss frames led to more actual distancing than gain-framed messages. However, studying attitudes toward different behavior, i.e., wearing masks, Peng et al (2022) found that the gain frame was more persuasive than the loss frame. Finally, the results of studies focused on framing and vaccination against COVID-19 are also mixed.…”

Music Videos as Health Promotion: Juvenile’s “Vax That Thang Up” and the Promotion of the COVID-19 Vaccine in the Black Community

“…For example, the rationale for being tested may be vastly different from one’s desire for or intention to get a vaccine. When analyzing COVID-19, health behaviors can be largely categorized as the following: (1) testing, (2) wearing a mask, (3) social distancing, and (4) receiving the vaccine ( Knell et al, 2020 ; Peng et al, 2022 ). This article will focus exclusively on vaccination within the Black community.…”

On the adoption of nonpharmaceutical interventions during the pandemic: An evolutionary game model

“…Some individuals could exhibit a bandwagon behavior where they tend to conform to social pressures for adjusting their mask compliance (Lee et al., 2021). Thus, it can be seen that people make a decision accounting for their perceived beliefs and behaviors from other people (Cohen et al., 2022; Peng et al., 2022).…”