Building Credibility and Cooperation in Low-Trust Settings: Persuasion and Source Accountability in Liberia During the 2014–2015 Ebola Crisis

Abstract

How can governments in low-trust settings overcome their credibility deficit when promoting public welfare? To answer this question, we evaluate the effectiveness of the Liberian government’s door-to-door canvassing campaign during the 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic, which aimed to persuade residents to voluntarily comply with policies for containing the disease. Combining data from an original representative survey of Monrovia during the crisis with variation in the campaign’s reach and using multiple identification strategies, we find that the informational campaign was remarkably effective at increasing adherence to safety precautions, support for contentious control policies, and general trust in government. To uncover the pathways through which the campaign proved so effective, we conducted over 80 in-depth qualitative interviews in 40 randomly sampled communities. This investigation suggests that local intermediaries were effective because their embeddedness in communities subjected them to monitoring and sanctioning, thereby assuring their fellow residents that they were accountable and thus credible.

TV News and COVID-19: Media Influence on Healthy Behavior in Public Spaces

“…The former yielded two dimensions, referring to trust in authorities and fear of COVID-19. Both confirmed psychological processes widely investigated in the literature on media effects [67,[70][71][72][74][75][76]. The latter identified a single dimension of preventive behaviors toward COVID-19, including avoiding crowded places, using face masks in public spaces, and keeping social distance, in addition to a difference in the use of public transport and working habits.…”

“…Another relevant issue at stake is trust in authorities. Recent research [76] has shown, indeed, that during the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic, trust in Liberian authorities was a crucial predictor of citizens' compliance with policies for containing the disease.…”

Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response

“…For instance, specialized Ebola treatment facilities that employed community liaisons and social mobilizers to raise awareness and resolve misconceptions were associated with increases in reporting Ebola cases 193 . Correlational evidence from Liberia also suggests that explicit government efforts to reach out to the population, like door-to-door canvassing, are associated with compliance with crisis management policies like bans on gatherings 194 .…”

Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response

“…For instance, specialized Ebola treatment facilities which employed community liaisons and social mobilizers to raise awareness and resolve misconceptions, were associated with increases in reporting Ebola cases 195 . Correlational evidence from Liberia also suggests that explicit government efforts to reach out to the population, like door-to-door canvassing, are associated with compliance with crisis management policies like bans on gatherings 196 .…”