The macropsychology of COVID-19: Psychological governance as pandemic response.

Abstract

Controlling the pandemic has necessitated governments across the world to implement behavior change agenda, through new policies, laws, and public communication strategies. The concept of "psychological governance" has therefore been crucial to curtailing the pandemic. Psychological governance is the application of insights from behavioral and psychological sciences to public policy for the purpose of influencing behavior at the individual, group, and population levels. Similarly, a macropsychology perspective aims to understand and shape behavior at the population level, through the application of psychology to factors that influence the settings and conditions of our lives, such as policies, institutions, systems, and structures. Psychological governance and a macropsychology perspective are key to effectively supporting pandemic preparedness, coping, and recovery at the population level. In this paper, the role of psychological governance in responding to COVID-19 is considered. This paper also examines the role of several macropsychological factors in the pandemic, including heroism, trust in government, culture, and equitable access and human rights. Public Significance StatementCOVID-19 is spread mainly through human behavior. The scale of COVID-19 renders it a population health challenge, which requires a response that is coordinated by government, using insights from behavioral science. Psychological science is uniquely positioned to provide insight into behavior change to control the spread of the virus and to support an equitable response to the pandemic. To do so, however, psychology will need to focus beyond the individual level, to policies, institutions, and systems at the population level.

Dead in the water: Mortality messaging in water crisis communication and implications for pro‐environmental outcomes

“…Our study ran in late 2020, before vaccines were available and pandemic news coverage was omnipresent, unavoidable and fear‐inducing. It is possible that the control group was influenced by pandemic‐related mortality anxiety, a finding supported by recent research (Courtney et al, 2020; McVeigh & MacLachlan, 2021; Pyszczynski et al, 2020; Su & Shen, 2020). This constant anxiety percolation may have increased baseline mortality awareness within our control, lending to lesser effect sizes than may have been found otherwise.…”

We can be more, but first, who are we?

“…That said, we recognize that change is afoot. An active movement focusing on humanitarian work is also underway, making significant progress (e.g., MacLachlan, 2014; McVeigh & MacLachlan, 2022). Moreover, nontypical corporate models, including those espousing stakeholder capitalism, such as social enterprises, or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aligned businesses, are emerging (Hart et al, in press).…”

“…For instance, numerous psychologists are ushering a movement—humanitarian work psychology—that merges I-O with an effort to enhance human welfare (e.g., Carr et al, 2012; Gloss & Foster, 2013; McWha-Hermann et al, 2015; Weiss & Rupp, 2011). Collaborations across various practitioners, organizations, and governments have also contributed to this movement (MacLachlan, 2014; McVeigh & MacLachlan, 2022). We are grateful for those leading the way.…”

Distressed yet bonded: A longitudinal investigation of the COVID-19 pandemic’s silver lining effects on life satisfaction.

“…To do so, we examine whether the pandemic activates distinct changes in different well-being domains and whether domain-specific positive changes produce silver lining effects on life satisfaction. Given the importance of protecting public psychological well-being and reducing social inequality caused by the pandemic (McVeigh & MacLachlan, 2022; Zacher & Rudolph, 2021), an investigation of the mixed mechanisms and boundary conditions for the related changes is warranted. We are particularly interested in age as a key contingency factor for changes in mental health and communal/life satisfaction because, on the one hand, COVID-19 has disproportionate risks for the physical health of older people (Y.…”