Trust in Science, Perceived Vulnerability to Disease, and Adherence to Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological COVID-19 Recommendations

Abstract

Protection motivation theory (PMT) is a theoretical framework informative for understanding behavioral intentions and choices during exceptional and uncommon circumstances, such as a pandemic of respiratory infectious disease. PMT postulates both the threat appraisal and the coping appraisal as predictors of health behaviors. Recent advances in the field of behavioral immune system (BIS) research suggest that humans are equipped with a set of psychological adaptations enabling them to detect the disease-threat and activate behavioral avoidance of pathogens. The present study, set within PMT framework and informed by the BIS research, aimed to explain and predict voluntary adherence to COVID-19 guidelines by perceived personal risk and vulnerability to disease as threat appraisal variables, and trust in science as the response efficacy element of coping appraisal. Gender, age, belief in the second wave, perceived personal risk, germ aversion, and trust in science were all found to be significant positive predictors of the intent to adhere to non-pharmacological COVID-19 recommendations, with the belief in the second wave, germ aversion, and trust in science being the most important ones. On the other hand, only the belief in the second wave and trust in science were significant positive predictors of the intent to adhere to pharmacological COVID-19 recommendations (i.e., to vaccinate). Interventions aimed at enhancing preventative measures adherence should take into account that the psychological mechanisms underlying adherence to these two types of recommendations are not identical.

Who Believes in COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories in Croatia? Prevalence and Predictors of Conspiracy Beliefs

“…For example, civic attitudes (Roma et al, 2020) and trust in science and scientists (Dohle et al, 2020;Hromatko et al, 2021) are found to be positively related to adherence to COVID-19 protective measures. However, while some previous research, consistent with this study, show that education is negatively related to beliefs in conspiracies (Hornik et al, 2021), some other show that education is not a significant predictor (Hromatko et al, 2021;Karić and Mededović, 2021) or is even negatively related to compliance to protective measures (Roma et al, 2020). These results suggest that the relationship of education with belief in conspiracies and adherence to protective measures is not straightforward.…”

Differences in the Protection Motivation Theory Constructs between People with Various Latent Classes of Motivation for Vaccination and Preventive Behaviors against COVID-19 in Taiwan

“…PMT has been applied to explain the motivation to adopt preventive behaviors [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ] and to get vaccinated against COVID-19 [ 31 , 44 , 47 , 48 ]. Cross-sectional studies have revealed that perceived severity of and vulnerability to COVID-19, self-efficacy to adopt preventive behaviors, and response efficacy of preventive behaviors are positively associated with the intention to adhere to recommended protective behaviors against COVID-19 [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. A follow-up study demonstrated that perceived severity and response efficacy can predict the adoption of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 [ 44 ].…”

“…Cross-sectional studies have revealed that perceived severity of and vulnerability to COVID-19, self-efficacy to adopt preventive behaviors, and response efficacy of preventive behaviors are positively associated with the intention to adhere to recommended protective behaviors against COVID-19 [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. A follow-up study demonstrated that perceived severity and response efficacy can predict the adoption of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 [ 44 ]. Moreover, research has revealed that the perceived severity of COVID-19 [ 46 ], response and cost efficacy of vaccination [ 44 , 48 ], and receiving an influenza vaccine [ 31 ] are associated with the motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination.…”

“…A follow-up study demonstrated that perceived severity and response efficacy can predict the adoption of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 [ 44 ]. Moreover, research has revealed that the perceived severity of COVID-19 [ 46 ], response and cost efficacy of vaccination [ 44 , 48 ], and receiving an influenza vaccine [ 31 ] are associated with the motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination. However, no study has examined whether the cognitive constructs of PMT differ between individuals with various classes of motivations to get vaccinated and to adopt preventive behaviors against COVID-19.…”

Would Older Adults Perform Preventive Practices in the Post-COVID-19 Era? A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Survey in China

“…If the perceived severity and vulnerability are high, and the perceived rewards are low, there is a stronger motivation for engagement in health-promoting behaviors [ 15 ]. In the previous studies about preventive measures of COVID-19, Yazdanpanah et al [ 27 ] and Hromatko et al [ 28 ] reported that perceived vulnerability produced a positive and significant impression on preventive behaviors. However, in our study, a negative association was observed between perceived vulnerability and preventive behaviors.…”