Self-persuasion increases motivation for social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic through moral obligation

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments use direct persuasion to encourage social isolation. Since self-persuasion is a more effective method of encouraging behavioural changes, using an experimental approach, we compared direct persuasion to self-persuasion on underlying motivations for voluntary social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked the participants (N = 375) to write three arguments in support of social isolation (self-persuasion condition) or to evaluate three government graphics containing arguments for social isolation (direct persuasion condition). Then we asked the participants to evaluate perceived own vulnerability to COVID-19, the perceived severity of COVID-19, moral obligation to socially isolate and the attitude toward social isolation. Self-persuasion had a significant impact on the moral obligation to socially isolate, and through it on self-isolation intention. We also found evidence that individuals who perceived greater benefits from social isolation and who perceived a higher severity of COVID-19 have a higher intention to socially isolate. Significant sex and age differences also emerged. Our findings provide new insights into mechanisms of self-persuasion and underlying motivations that influence social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reactance and perceived disease severity as determinants of COVID-19 vaccination intention: an application of the theory of planned behavior

“…Vaccine hesitancy also significantly decreases when a person knows someone afflicted with COVID-19 (Schwarzinger et al, 2021). Knowing someone who has had COVID-19 is also associated with perceiving the disease as severe (Drążkowski et al, 2020).…”

Vaccinating to Protect Others: The Role of Self-Persuasion and Empathy among Young Adults

“…Besides the Empathic Sensitivity Scale [39], all the measures were developed based on Francis et al's [40] guideline on creating TPB questionnaires. Those items, to which participants responded using a 7-point Likert scale, were used in prior studies where they presented adequate reliability and validity [17,21]. The following measures were used in both Study 1 and Study 2:…”

“…For instance, Baldwin et al [16] demonstrated that self-persuasion might increase parents' intention to vaccinate their adolescent children against human papillomavirus (HPV). Moreover, Dr ą żkowski et al [17] revealed that self-persuasion has a significant effect on one's moral obligation to socially isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic, and through it, on self-isolation intention.…”

Vaccinating to protect others: The role of self-persuasion and empathy among young adults

“…For instance, Baldwin et al (2017) demonstrated that self-persuasion might increase parents' intention to vaccinate their adolescent child against Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Moreover, Drążkowski et al (2020) revealed that self-persuasion significantly impacted the moral obligation to socially isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic, and through it on self-isolation intention.…”