Containing COVID-19 by Matching Messages on Social Distancing to Emergent Mindsets—The Case of North America

Bellissimo, Nick; Gabay, Gillie; Gere, Attila; Kucab, Michaela; Moskowitz, Howard R.

doi:10.3390/ijerph17218096

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…This research project seeks to start closing the gap in the state-of-the-art testing of the power of messaging in promoting WTC with physical distancing during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic across religious cultures. This research responds to previous calls to develop communication messaging models that incorporate creative strategies to tailor messages to diverse audiences [ 36 – 38 ]. This study examines which messages are strong drivers of WTC with physical distancing and which are neutral messages evoking weak responses across religious cultures.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…This study examines which messages are strong drivers of WTC with physical distancing and which are neutral messages evoking weak responses across religious cultures. WTC with physical distancing was found to depend on: the perceived risk of the virus, the perceived benefits of physical distancing, and trust in the agent communicating the physical distancing policy [ 15 , 38 – 43 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Improving compliance with physical distancing across religious cultures in Israel

Gabay

Gere

Naamati-Schneider

et al. 2021

Isr J Health Policy Res

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Background Physical distancing contains the corona virus, but compliance with physical distancing across religious minorities in Israel has been shown to be relatively poorer than in the majority population. This study tests the power of messages as drivers of willingness to comply with physical distancing across religious minorities in Israel during the first wave of the COVID-19 from March till June 2020. Methods 896 Israeli Muslims, Druze, Bedouins, Jewish Orthodox, Christians, and Jewish Seculars participated in this conjoint-based experimental design. The size of the total sample and of the subgroups is consistent with the suggested size in conjoint analysis studies, particularly when aiming at stability of coefficients rather than stability of means. The dependent variable was ‘willingness to comply’. Independent variables were known contributors to compliance: perceived risk, practices of physical distancing, ways to assure compliance, and the agent communicating the policy. Results A regression analysis indicated minor differences in the power of messages across groups despite dramatic cultural differences amongst them. We identified three distinct mindsets that transcend religious cultures from the responses of the study subjects to various messages and named them “pandemic observers,” “obedient followers,” and “sensitive interpreters.” Compliance of "Pandemic Observers" (n = 306) may be improved by messages such as, “Dangerous virus spreading wildly” and “Health experts suggest what to do but the government is reactive rather than proactive” (β = 14, p < .005). Compliance of "Obedient Followers" (n = 242) may be driven by the messages “Socialize and work only from home, using the internet, e.g. zoom/Skype” and “Everyone should stay 2 m. (6 ft.) apart” (β = 16, p < .0050). Compliance of "Sensitive Interpreters" (n = 249) may be improved by messages such as, “Only people who are 60 and over are to be allowed to buy groceries during first 2 h from opening” and by using the media to publicize the official health policy (β = 8; p < .005). Conclusions Mindset-assignment reflects how people think rather than their religious affiliation. A personal viewpoint identifier was developed to predict mindset-assignment and enable health authorities to enhance compliance through mindset-tailored messages for members of each mindset segment. We recommend that health authorities and policy makers consider these different personality types, which range across religious minorities and emphasize the messages that each type responds to in developing and implementing a communication plan to improve physical distancing as an important public health measure.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving compliance with physical distancing across religious cultures in Israel

Gabay

Gere

Naamati-Schneider

et al. 2021

Isr J Health Policy Res

Self Cite

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“…The reader should note that we report the results of the first experiment regarding how to understand and how to motivate Arizonans to consider the COVID-19 vaccine. The materials selected in Table 1 for questions and answers have appeared in part in other studies [9] albeit with some of the language changed, based upon previous results in other countries. It is also worth noting that the study was done overnight in Arizona, approximately four hours after the study was launched on the internet.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The specific messages, their content, their tonality, and the mind of the respondent will drive the respondent's rating. The rating scale is a simple 5-point Likert Scale [9].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Driving to Comply: Mind Genomics, Arizona, and the COVID-19 Vaccine

2021

J Int Pers COVID-19

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The study reported here represents the first effort to apply the emerging science of Mind Genomics to the citizens of an entire state, with the goal of improving communication about the pandemic, doing so during the crisis, rather than as an academic exercise AFTER the virus.During the past decade, the increasing sophistication of marketers has moved from selling ideas to selling better lives through public messages, hopefully effective ones. The basic notion is quite simple; the more one knows about the customer with respect to the specific topic to be 'messaged, ' the more effective the message will be. Despite the simplicity of the idea, the actual implementation is fraught with problems from beginning to end.Marketers attempt to 'know' their customers, but for most topics the effort to know customers is expensive relative to the opportunity. For example, for most small items, such as shoes or dresses, or even houses, it costs much more to discover the proper messaging than the marketer is willing to pay. There emerges a culture of fast, qualitative research, if any research at all. The marketer hires a competent focus group or individual moderator, moves on with the test, and determines next steps, such as the proper words. This paper presents the first part of an attempt to understand the mind of the Arizona citizen with respect to COVID-19, in preparation for the upcoming vaccine, promised in 2021. The objective is to understand the motivating messages which 'reach citizens, ' not only in terms of actual messages, but themes which could be used later on to drive vaccination. The anti-vaxxer movement has gained strength over the years for various reasons, ranging from religious to conspiracy theory, as well as disbelief, and indifference [4][5][6][7].

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“…Similar to ConJoint analysis, it requires a topic, a set of questions coupled with possible answers to create hypothetical products, services, or short stories, which are rated on a predefined rating scale. It has been applied in various fields, such as uncovering the mind of consumers regarding meat analogues [21], people's reaction to COVID-19 restrictions [22], insect-based foods, [23] or consumer perception of health loss [24]. In the past few years, Mind Genomics followed international trends and has been transferred to mobile applications under the name of BimiLeap ® .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Purchasing Bakery Goods during COVID-19: A Mind Genomics Cartography of Hungarian Consumers

Bíró

Gere

2021

Agronomy

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At both global and national levels, COVID-19 caused huge changes both in politics and economics, including the agricultural sector and the food industry, from producers, manufacturers, and traders to consumers. Since March 2020, many restrictions and protective measures were introduced worldwide, which only began to be relaxed in the last weeks of spring 2021 as the number of people vaccinated against the coronavirus increased in Hungary. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Hungarian consumers toward food purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of safety. The research was based on the purchase of bakery products, which are basic food products and are most often found in an unpackaged form in Hungarian stores. The BimiLeap® study, a revolutionary tool for uncovering people’s minds, was completed by 125 participants, gathered by a snowballing technique. There were no significant differences among consumers’ attitudes based on the traditional socio-demographic descriptors; however, the mindset-based classification was able to differentiate significantly. The three identified mindsets covered people who themselves consider bakery products, the purchase method, and being in the store as the highest risk of a potential COVID infection.

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Containing COVID-19 by Matching Messages on Social Distancing to Emergent Mindsets—The Case of North America

Cited by 7 publications

References 40 publications

Improving compliance with physical distancing across religious cultures in Israel

Improving compliance with physical distancing across religious cultures in Israel

Driving to Comply: Mind Genomics, Arizona, and the COVID-19 Vaccine

Purchasing Bakery Goods during COVID-19: A Mind Genomics Cartography of Hungarian Consumers

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