TY - JOUR
T1 - Predicting Social Distancing Intention and Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic
T2 - An Integrated Social Cognition Model
AU - Hagger, Martin S.
AU - Smith, Stephanie R.
AU - Keech, Jacob J.
AU - Moyers, Susette A.
AU - Hamilton, Kyra
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Society of Behavioral Medicine 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].
PY - 2020/10/1
Y1 - 2020/10/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Action planning
KW - Dual-phase models
KW - Dual-process models
KW - Habit
KW - Health behavior
KW - Social cognition theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091669833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/abm/kaaa073
DO - 10.1093/abm/kaaa073
M3 - Article
C2 - 32914831
AN - SCOPUS:85091669833
SN - 1532-4796
VL - 54
SP - 713
EP - 727
JO - Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
JF - Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
IS - 10
ER -