Dangerous liaisons : an online experiment on the role of scientific experts and politicians in ensuring public support for anti-COVID measures
(2021) In Royal Society Open Science 8(3).- Abstract
- The effectiveness of public health measures to prevent COVID-19 contagion has required less vulnerable citizens to pay an individual cost in terms of personal liberty infringement to protect more vulnerable groups. However, the close relationship between scientific experts and politicians in providing information on COVID-19 measures makes it difficult to understand which communication source was more effective in increasing pro-social behaviour. Here, we present an online experiment performed in May 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic on 1131 adult residents in Lombardy, Italy, one of the world's hardest hit regions. Results showed that when scientific experts recommended anti-contagion measures, participants were more sensitive... (More)
- The effectiveness of public health measures to prevent COVID-19 contagion has required less vulnerable citizens to pay an individual cost in terms of personal liberty infringement to protect more vulnerable groups. However, the close relationship between scientific experts and politicians in providing information on COVID-19 measures makes it difficult to understand which communication source was more effective in increasing pro-social behaviour. Here, we present an online experiment performed in May 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic on 1131 adult residents in Lombardy, Italy, one of the world's hardest hit regions. Results showed that when scientific experts recommended anti-contagion measures, participants were more sensitive to pro-social motivations, unlike whenever these measures were recommended by politicians and scientific experts together. Our findings suggest the importance of trusted sources in public communication during a pandemic. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/398533b9-468b-480b-83bd-31cdaca837de
- author
- Farjam, Mike LU ; Bianchi, Federico ; Squazzoni, Flaminio and Bravo, Giangiacomo
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-03-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- COVID-19, Italy, Lombardy, Experiment, Compliance, anti-contagion measures
- in
- Royal Society Open Science
- volume
- 8
- issue
- 3
- article number
- 201310
- pages
- 20 pages
- publisher
- Royal Society Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85104844586
- pmid:33959315
- ISSN
- 2054-5703
- DOI
- 10.1098/rsos.201310
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 398533b9-468b-480b-83bd-31cdaca837de
- date added to LUP
- 2021-03-10 09:28:29
- date last changed
- 2022-04-27 00:43:19
@article{398533b9-468b-480b-83bd-31cdaca837de,
abstract = {{The effectiveness of public health measures to prevent COVID-19 contagion has required less vulnerable citizens to pay an individual cost in terms of personal liberty infringement to protect more vulnerable groups. However, the close relationship between scientific experts and politicians in providing information on COVID-19 measures makes it difficult to understand which communication source was more effective in increasing pro-social behaviour. Here, we present an online experiment performed in May 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic on 1131 adult residents in Lombardy, Italy, one of the world's hardest hit regions. Results showed that when scientific experts recommended anti-contagion measures, participants were more sensitive to pro-social motivations, unlike whenever these measures were recommended by politicians and scientific experts together. Our findings suggest the importance of trusted sources in public communication during a pandemic.}},
author = {{Farjam, Mike and Bianchi, Federico and Squazzoni, Flaminio and Bravo, Giangiacomo}},
issn = {{2054-5703}},
keywords = {{COVID-19; Italy; Lombardy; Experiment; Compliance; anti-contagion measures}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
number = {{3}},
publisher = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
series = {{Royal Society Open Science}},
title = {{Dangerous liaisons : an online experiment on the role of scientific experts and politicians in ensuring public support for anti-COVID measures}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201310}},
doi = {{10.1098/rsos.201310}},
volume = {{8}},
year = {{2021}},
}