Psychological distance towards COVID-19: Geographical and hypothetical distance predict attitudes and mediate knowledge

Abstract

Objectives: We applied the concept of psychological distance to understand the perceived affection by COVID-19 and investigated its connection with protective behaviour (RQ1), context-specific antecedents (RQ2), and its possibility to mediate the effect of knowledge on attitudes (RQ3). Design: We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study (N = 395, Mage = 32.2 years, SDage = 13.9 years, 64.3% female) in Germany in July 2020, a time with a low incidence of people infected with Sars-CoV2.Methods: People completed online questionnaires about socio-psychological constructs addressing COVID-19, further information was included from external sources. Results: Geographical distance only predicted cognitive attitudes towards COVID-19 (β = -0.25, p < 0.001), hypothetical distance (i.e. feeling to be likely affected by COVID-19) predicted participants’ affective, cognitive, and behavioural attitudes (-0.16 < β < -0.28) and the installation of a warning-app (β = -0.18, p < 0.01). Geographical distance to COVID-19 was predicted by living in cities and knowledge. Hypothetical distance was affected by Sars-CoV2 cases in social surrounding, knowledge, and level of education. Hypothetical and geographical distance mediated the effect of knowledge on attitudes.Conclusions: While geographical distance affected peoples’ cognitive evaluation of COVID-19, hypothetical distance predicted the evaluation and the implementation of protective behaviours. Since Sars-CoV2 affects spatial regions differently, there is a need for addressing the likelihood of infecting oneself with COVID-19, which may be an objective for formal and informal educational activities. However, the success of these activities depends on peoples’ geographical and hypothetical distance, given their mediating role between knowledge and attitudes.