New research, co-authored by Dr Martha Newson from the School of Anthropology and Conservation (SAC), has found that individuals are more likely to follow what their friends do, rather than follow their own principles when it comes to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
The study, published in the British Journal of Psychology, discovered that the best predictor of people’s compliance to Covid-19 rules was how well their close circle complied with the rules, which had an even stronger effect than people’s own approval of the rules.
The global research led by the University of Nottingham, alongside researchers from British, French, German and American universities, including Dr Newson, challenges the assumptions at work in many public health campaigns and models. Governments and scientists often look at citizens as isolated individuals, rather than considering the networks of social circles that make up an individual’s life. To investigate the role these social networks might play in preventing the spread of Covid-19, the researchers asked people from over 100 countries how much they, and also their close social circle, approved of and followed the Covid-19 rules currently in place in their area. The findings were confirmed across age groups, genders, countries, and was independent of the severity of the pandemic and strength of restrictions.
The research highlights a gap in policy responses to the pandemic. It also suggests that including experts in human and social behaviour is crucial when planning the next stages of the pandemic response, such as how to ensure that people comply with extended lockdowns, or vaccination recommendations.
The lead researcher, Dr Bahar Tunçgenç from the University of Nottingham said: ‘When it all started in the UK in March, I was struck by how differently the leaders in Europe and Asia were responding to the pandemic. While the West emphasised ‘each person doing the right thing’, pandemic strategies in countries like Singapore, China and South Korea focussed on moving the collective together as a single unit. To understand what would work most effectively for bringing people on board in this moment of crisis, we set out to conduct a global study.
‘We saw that people didn’t simply turn inwards and try to selfishly protect themselves from the disease. Instead, this fearful environment highlighted our social side. Unlike what most models seem to assume, those who follow the rules most diligently are not necessarily the most vulnerable, or personally convinced. Instead, those who adhere to lockdown measures most consistently are those who have more friends who also do the right thing.’
Dr Newson, a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and expert in group bonding at SAC, added: ‘We also saw that people who were particularly bonded to their country were more likely to stick to lockdown rules – the country was like family in this way, someone you were willing to stick your neck out for. Human behaviour research can play a significant role in the implementation of effective policies for future Covid-19 challenges.’
Their paper ‘Social influence matters: We follow pandemic guidelines most when our close circle does’ is published in the British Journal of Psychology. DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12491