Predicting intentions to practice COVID-19 preventative behaviors in the United States: A test of the risk perception attitude framework and the theory of normative social behavior
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online October, 2022
Predicting intentions to practice COVID-19 preventative behaviors in the United States: A test of the risk perception attitude framework and the theory of normative social behavior
This study examined risk perceptions, efficacy beliefs, social norms, and their interactions as predictors of people’s intention to practice four COVID-19 preventative behaviors among a U.S. sample with quotas on age, sex, ethnicity, and region (N = 336). This online survey found that perceived injunctive norms predicted intentions to clean and disinfect (β = 0.20), practice social distancing (β = 0.14), and wear a face mask (β = 0.24). Additionally, efficacy beliefs were found to attenuate the association between descriptive norm perceptions and intention to wash hands (B = −0.15) and wear a face mask(B = −0.12). The results revealed the importance of considering both psychological and social factors to promote COVID-19 preventative behaviors.
BaeSYChangP-J (2021) The effect of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) risk perception on behavioural intention towards ‘untact’ tourism in South Korea during the first wave of the pandemic (March 2020). Current Issues in Tourism24: 1017–1035. DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2020.1798895.
2.
BrownLGHooverERBarrettCE, et al. (2020) Handwashing and disinfection precautions taken by U.S. adults to prevent coronavirus disease 2019, spring 2020. BMC Research Notes13: 550.
3.
CarcioppoloNOrrego DunleavyVYangQ (2017) How do perceived descriptive norms influence indoor tanning intentions? An application of the theory of normative social behavior. Health Communication32(2): 230–239.
4.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home (accessed 18 September 2021).
5.
ChoHLeeJ-S (2015) The influence of self-efficacy, subjective norms, and risk perception on behavioral intentions related to the H1N1 flu pandemic: A comparison between Korea and the US. Asian Journal of Social Psychology18(4): 311–324.
6.
ChristnerNStickerRMSöldnerL, et al. (2020) Prevention for oneself or others? Psychological and social factors that explain social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Health Psychology27(6): 1342–1353.
7.
ChungMLapinskiMK (2019) Extending the theory of normative social behavior to predict hand-washing among Koreans. Health Communication34(10): 1120–1129.
CialdiniRBRenoRRKallgrenCA (1990) A focus theory of normative conduct: Recycling the concept of norms to reduce littering in public places. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology58: 1015–1026.
10.
CialdiniRBTrostMR (1998) Social influence: Social norms, conformity and compliance. In: GilbertDTFiskeSTLindzeyG (eds) The Handbook of Social Psychology, 4th edn.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, pp.151–192.
11.
ClarkCDavilaARegisM, et al. (2020) Predictors of COVID-19 voluntary compliance behaviors: An international investigation. Global Transitions2: 76–82.
12.
CohenJCohenPWestSG, et al. (2003) Applied Multiple Correlation/Regression Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. New York, NY: Routledge.
13.
DeutschMGerardHB (1955) A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology51: 629–636.
14.
DryhurstSSchneiderCRKerrJ, et al. (2020) Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world. Journal of Risk Research23(7–8): 994–1006.
15.
FiskRJ (2021) Barriers to vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) control: Experience from the United States. Global Health Journal5(1): 51–55.
16.
GerbingDWHunterJE (1982) The metric of the latent variables in a LISREL-IV analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement42(2): 423–427.
17.
GharpureRHunterCMSchnallAH, et al. (2020) Knowledge and practices regarding safe household cleaning and disinfection for COVID-19 prevention—United States, may 2020. American Journal of Transplantation20(10): 2946–2950.
18.
GoldsteinNJGriskeviciusVCialdiniRB (2007) Invoking social norms a social psychology perspective on improving hotels’ linen-reuse programs. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly48: 145–150.
19.
HearneBNNiñoMD (2021) Understanding how race, ethnicity, and gender shape mask-wearing adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from the COVID impact survey. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities9(1): 176–183.
20.
HuLBentlerPM (1999) Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling a Multidisciplinary Journal6(1): 1–55.
21.
JainATobeyEIsmailH, et al. (2018) Condom use at last sex by young men in Ethiopia: The effect of descriptive and injunctive norms. Reproductive Health15(1): 164.
22.
JainPHumiennyR (2020) Normative influences on the role of prescription medicine misuse among college students in the United States. Health Communication35(3): 331–340.
23.
JangSARimalRNChoN (2013) Normative influences and alcohol consumption: The role of drinking refusal self-efficacy. Health Communication28(5): 443–451.
24.
KerrJPanagopoulosCvan der LindenS (2021) Political polarization on COVID-19 pandemic response in the United States. Personality and Individual Differences179: 110892.
25.
LapinskiMKAndersonJShugartA, et al. (2014) Social influence in child care centers: A test of the theory of normative social behavior. Health Communication29(3): 219–232.
26.
LapinskiMKRimalRN (2005) An explication of social norms. Communication Theory15(2): 127–147.
27.
LapinskiMKZhuangJKohH, et al. (2017) Descriptive norms and involvement in health and environmental behaviors. Communication Research44(3): 367–387.
28.
LeeCMGeisnerIMLewisMA, et al. (2007) Social motives and the interaction between descriptive and injunctive norms in college student drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs68(5): 714–721.
29.
LeeMYouM (2020) Psychological and behavioral responses in South Korea during the early stages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health17(9): 2977.
30.
MollenSRimalRNLapinskiMK (2010) What is normative in health communication research on norms? A review and recommendations for future scholarship. Health Communication25(6–7): 544–547.
31.
MonroeAEDillonKDGuglielmoS, et al. (2018) It’s not what you do, but what everyone else does: On the role of descriptive norms and subjectivism in moral judgment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology77: 1–10.
32.
PaskEBRawlinsST (2016) Men’s intentions to engage in behaviors to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV): Testing the risk perception attitude framework. Health Communication31(2): 139–149.
33.
ProsserAMBJudgeMBolderdijkJW, et al. (2020) ‘Distancers’ and ‘non-distancers’? The potential social psychological impact of moralizing COVID-19 mitigating practices on sustained behaviour change. British Journal of Social Psychology59(3): 653–662.
RainsSAHingleMDSurdeanuM, et al. (2019) A test of the risk perception attitude framework as a message tailoring strategy to promote diabetes screening. Health Communication34(6): 672–679.
36.
RimalRLapinskiMTurnerM, et al. (2011) The attribute-centered approach for understanding health behaviors: Initial ideas and future research directions. Studies in Communication Sciences11(1): 15–34.
37.
RimalRN (2008) Modeling the relationship between descriptive norms and behaviors: A test and extension of the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB). Health Communication23(2): 103–116.
38.
RimalRNJuonH-S (2010) Use of the risk perception attitude framework for promoting breast cancer prevention. Journal of Applied Social Psychology40(2): 287–310.
39.
RimalRNLapinskiMK (2015) A re-explication of social norms, ten years later. Communication Theory25(4): 393–409.
40.
RimalRNRealK (2003a) Perceived risk and efficacy beliefs as motivators of change. Human Communication Research29(3): 370–399.
41.
RimalRNRealK (2003b) Understanding the influence of perceived norms on behaviors. Communication Theory13(2): 184–203.
42.
RimalRNRealK (2005) How behaviors are influenced by perceived norms: A test of the theory of normative social behavior. Communication Research32(3): 389–414.
43.
ShiJKimHK (2020) Integrating risk perception attitude framework and the theory of planned behavior to predict mental health promotion behaviors among young adults. Health Communication35(5): 597–606.
44.
SullivanHWBeckjordEBFinney RuttenLJ, et al. (2008) Nutrition-related cancer prevention cognitions and behavioral intentions: Testing the risk perception attitude framework. Health Education & Behavior35(6): 866–879.
VallyZ (2020) Public perceptions, anxiety and the perceived efficacy of health-protective behaviours to mitigate the spread of the SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19 pandemic. Public Health187: 67–73.
47.
WitteK (1994) Fear control and danger control: A test of the extended parallel process model (EPPM). Communication Monographs61(2): 113–134.
48.
WitteKCameronKAMcKeonJK, et al. (1996) Predicting risk behaviors: Development and validation of a diagnostic scale. Journal of Health Communication1(4): 317–341.
World Health Organization (2021) WHO coronavirus disease (COVID-19) dashboard. WHO. Available at: https://covid19.who.int (accessed 18 September 2021).
51.
YooWChoiD-H (2020) Predictors of expressing and receiving information on social networking sites during MERS-CoV outbreak in South Korea. Journal of Risk Research23(7–8): 912–927.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
