Risk Perception as a Motivational Resource during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Vaccination Status and Emerging Variants

Abstract

Background: People’s perceived risk to be infected and to have severe illness has been thought as a motivational source of adherence to behavioral measures during the COVID-19 crisis. Methods: We used online self-reported data, spanning 20 months of the COVID-19 crisis in [blinded] (n = 241,275; 34% vaccinated; July 2020 - March 2022). Results: The findings demonstrate, especially among vaccinated persons, that people’s perceived severity was more prominent than perceived probability for infection, up until Omicron emerged. At both the between-persons and between-day levels, perceived severity was the most strongly related to autonomous motivation, a pattern that was less pronounced for unvaccinated people towards the end of the crisis. Conclusions: These findings show that variation in risk perceptions largely accounts for the variation in both between-individuals’ and day-to-day variation in motivation to adhere to the measures, thereby showing a sensitivity to the characteristics of the variants of the virus and the role of one’s vaccination status.

Psychological science and its societal mission during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic: The Motivation Barometer as an evidence‐informed policy instrument in Belgium

“…Although risk perception is a well‐known concept in health behavior theories (Brewer et al., 2007), such as the health belief model (Champion & Skinner, 2008; Rosenstock, 1974) and the health action process approach (Schwarzer & Luszczynska, 2008), its role in fostering internalization of health behaviors received no prior attention. Such a link was established in various studies within the Motivation Barometer project, with risk perception underlying people's autonomous regulation for both sanitary measures (Waterschoot, Vansteenkiste, et al., 2023) and vaccination uptake (Schmitz et al., 2022). Interestingly, when we allowed both aspects of risk perception to compete for unique variance in autonomous regulation, only the severity aspect yielded a facilitating effect.…”

“…Interestingly, when we allowed both aspects of risk perception to compete for unique variance in autonomous regulation, only the severity aspect yielded a facilitating effect. Notably, risk perception was not a stable “entity,” but varied across time as a function of changing hospitalizations (Waterschoot, Vansteenkiste, et al., 2023). Given the sensitive nature of risk perception, the internalization of sanitary measures also got strengthened and plummeted as a function of shifting risk levels.…”

“…Further, the internalization‐enhancing role of risk severity appeared robust, as it emerged regardless of the circulating variant (i.e., alpha, delta, omicron) and was observed among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals (Waterschoot, Vansteenkiste, et al., 2023). The latter findings should be considered against the background that unvaccinated individuals perceived on average less risk for severe illness, which helps explain their lowered autonomous motivation and greater reluctance for vaccination (Waterschoot, Vansteenkiste, et al., 2023).…”

“…A longitudinal study, involving 13 measurement moments spanning 2 years of the pandemic, examined whether need satisfaction can serve as a source of resilience when people encounter health‐threatening events (Waterschoot, Morbée, Soenens, et al., 2023). Two sets of findings speak to this issue.…”

“…The process of basic psychological needs also helps to explain why some groups in society suffered more strongly from the crisis. The reason why young adults, relative to older generations, reported poorer mental health was due to the stronger frustration of their basic needs for relatedness and autonomy (Waterschoot, Morbée, Soenens, et al., 2023). Also, the increasing polarization observed in society between vaccinated and unvaccinated persons (de Figueiredo & Larson, 2021) and the rebellious attitude of some unvaccinated persons against the COVID‐19 policy during the winter of 2021 could be accounted for by the increasing social exclusion and autonomy frustration experienced by these persons (Waterschoot, Yzerbyt, et al., 2023).…”