Predicting Social Distancing Intention and Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrated Social Cognition Model

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Hagger, Martin S
Smith, Stephanie R
Keech, Jacob J
Moyers, Susette A
Hamilton, Kyra
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2020
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Social distancing is a key behavior to minimize COVID-19 infections. Identification of potentially modifiable determinants of social distancing behavior may provide essential evidence to inform social distancing behavioral interventions. PURPOSE: The current study applied an integrated social cognition model to identify the determinants of social distancing behavior, and the processes involved, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In a prospective correlational survey study, samples of Australian (N = 365) and U.S. (N = 440) residents completed online self-report measures of social cognition constructs (attitude, subjective norm, moral norm, anticipated regret, and perceived behavioral control [PBC]), intention, action planning, habit, and past behavior with respect to social distancing behavior at an initial occasion. Follow-up measures of habit and social distancing behavior were taken 1 week later. RESULTS: Structural equation models indicated that subjective norm, moral norm, and PBC were consistent predictors of intention in both samples. Intention, action planning, and habit at follow-up were consistent predictors of social distancing behavior in both samples. Action planning did not have consistent effects mediating or moderating the intention-behavior relationship. Inclusion of past behavior in the model attenuated effects among constructs, although the effects of the determinants of intention and behavior remained. CONCLUSIONS: Current findings highlight the importance of subjective norm, moral obligation, and PBC as determinants of social distancing intention and intention and habit as behavioral determinants. Future research on long-range predictors of social distancing behavior and reciprocal effects in the integrated model is warranted.

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Annals of Behavioral Medicine

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54

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10

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© 2020 Oxford University Press. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Annals of Behavioral Medicine following peer review. The version of record Predicting Social Distancing Intention and Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrated Social Cognition Model , Annals of Behavioral Medicines, 2020 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaa073.

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Biomedical and clinical sciences

Education

Psychology

Health sciences

Action planning

Dual-phase models

Dual-process models

Habit

Health behavior

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Hagger, MS; Smith, SR; Keech, JJ; Moyers, SA; Hamilton, K, Predicting Social Distancing Intention and Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrated Social Cognition Model, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2020, 54 (10), pp. 713-727

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