Exploring the relationships between rule-governed behavior and adherence to guidelines aiming to reduce the spread of COVID-19

Stapleton, Alison; McCloskey, C.; McHugh, Louise

doi:10.1016/j.jcbs.2022.06.005

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…For example, seeing others adhere prompts young adults to adhere. This supports non-pandemic experimental work [ 48 ] as well as pandemic work [ 49 ], that shows conforming to peers’ level of adherence is a key driver of an individual’s obedience to the authority requests.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Adherence of those at low risk of disease to public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Postill

Adams²,

Zanin³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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Public health measures (PHMs) proactively and reactively reduce the spread of disease. While these measures target individual behaviour, they require broad adherence to be effective. Consequently, the World Health Organization issued a special appeal to young adults, a known non-adherent population, for increased adherence with COVID-19 guidelines. However, little is known about why these low-risk individuals do or do not adhere to PHMs. This study investigates why young adults in a low-risk setting adhered to PHMs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative research approach was chosen to gain an in-depth understanding of participants’ thoughts and experiences related to PHM adherence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in April-May 2021 with 30 young adults living in Prince Edward Island (PEI), the province with the lowest COVID-19 case rate in Canada at that time. Thematic analysis was used to create a codebook based on the Theoretical Domains Framework, which was then inductively modified. The analysis identified eight themes that explained the adherence of young adults: (1) clear, purpose-driven adherence rationale, (2) developing trust in the local leadership, (3) adapting to novel measures, (4) manageable disruption, (5) adhering to reduce anxiety, (6) collective duty towards one’s community, (7) moral culpability and (8) using caution rather than compliance. Together, these themes demonstrate that young adults adhered to PHMs because of their sense of connection to their community, public health leadership, and concerns over stigma. We further argue that clear guidelines and communication from public health officials during both periods of high and low COVID-19 cases facilitate adherence. These findings are important for mitigating future public health emergencies as they explain why young adults, an important segment of the population whose adherence is critical to the success of PHMs, follow PHMs. Further, these findings can inform public health officials and other stakeholders aiming to develop successful adherence strategies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Adherence of those at low risk of disease to public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Postill

Adams²,

Zanin³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

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“…A busca bibliográfi ca de trabalhos discutindo o comportamento governado por regras no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19, resultou em quatro artigos (Confer et al, 2021;Pietras, 2022;Stapleton, 2020;Stapleton et al, 2022). Desses, Confer et al (2021), Stapleton (2020) e Stapleton et al (2022) discutiram especificamente o contexto da pandemia.…”

Section: Resultsunclassified

Por que Seguimos Regras? Analisando o Exemplo da Prevenção a COVID-19

Paracampo¹,

Proença²,

Goulart³

2023

Cad. Psic.

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The COVID-19 pandemic required the world’s population to quickly learn new behaviors that would help prevent the spread and contamination of the coronavirus. The presentation of rules that described these behaviors and their eff ectiveness was one of the strategies used by governments, scientifi c communities, and the media to produce the required behavioral changes. However, there was resistance on the part of the population to follow these rules. This study sought to describe and analyze the possible eff ects of some variables on the occurrence and maintenance of rule-following that prevented contamination by COVID-19, in the light of scientifi c evidence from the behavioral-analytic literature. The variables were: rule understanding, rule complexity, biological conditions and behavioral repertoire of the listener, environmental conditions, who is the speaker, consequences produced by following the rule, formal properties of rules, confl icting rules, and individual history of the listener. The results indicated that understanding the rule is not a suffi cient condition for following it. The interaction between favorable and unfavorable variables to which a listener is exposed changes the probability of following rules. This study exemplifi es how identifying appropriate ways of presenting rules and making them more probable increases the chance of preserving the lives of the world’s population.Keywords: Rules, rule-following, COVID-19, pandemic, prevention

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“…Organizations must also be cautious when using arbitrary social incentives (e.g., praise) to increase consumers' engagement in eco-friendly behaviors. Messages that focus solely on describing (i) standard levels of consumption or (ii) behaviors that are endorsed or condemned within the given context may not be effective long-term [43,44]. From an RFT perspective, an overreliance on arbitrary socially mediated consequences is called 'generalized pliance' [44].…”

Section: Deliver Appropriate Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Messages that focus solely on describing (i) standard levels of consumption or (ii) behaviors that are endorsed or condemned within the given context may not be effective long-term [43,44]. From an RFT perspective, an overreliance on arbitrary socially mediated consequences is called 'generalized pliance' [44]. Although generalized pliance generally differs across lifespans [45] and cultural contexts [46], promoting excessive 'people-pleasing' or an overreliance on arbitrary praise and disapproval can create ossified behaviors that are less sensitive to shifting environmental contingencies (i.e., patterns of problematic behaviors that are resistant to change).…”

Section: Deliver Appropriate Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although generalized pliance generally differs across lifespans [45] and cultural contexts [46], promoting excessive 'people-pleasing' or an overreliance on arbitrary praise and disapproval can create ossified behaviors that are less sensitive to shifting environmental contingencies (i.e., patterns of problematic behaviors that are resistant to change). Moreover, behaviors controlled solely by pliance may not persist when consumers believe they are not being observed (i.e., when there is a perceived absence of these consequences [44]). For example, consider an industrial organization based near a large body of water that wants to dispose of a significant amount of waste.…”

Section: Deliver Appropriate Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How to Effectively Promote Eco-Friendly Behaviors: Insights from Contextual Behavioral Science

2022

Self Cite

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The rapidly increasing rate of climate change is a major threat of our time. Human behaviors contribute to climate change. These behaviors are malleable. To change human behavior in significant and sustainable ways, we need a scientific understanding of motivation and behavior change. One area in psychological science that provides precision, scope, and depth to our understanding of human behavior and motivation is contextual behavioral science (CBS). The current article provides an account of how CBS can provide real-world solutions to promoting positive behavior change to reduce human-induced climate issues. Specifically, we will outline six evidence-based considerations for organizations aiming to promote pro-environmental behaviors through messaging, advertising, and social marketing. Practical examples are provided across all six considerations to promote behavior change to reduce the rapidly increasing rate of climate change.

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Exploring the relationships between rule-governed behavior and adherence to guidelines aiming to reduce the spread of COVID-19

Cited by 5 publications

References 25 publications

Adherence of those at low risk of disease to public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Adherence of those at low risk of disease to public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Por que Seguimos Regras? Analisando o Exemplo da Prevenção a COVID-19

How to Effectively Promote Eco-Friendly Behaviors: Insights from Contextual Behavioral Science

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