In this paper, we demonstrated the effects of different communication strategies on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a large, cross-country experiment, we found that a controlling message, which relied on shame and fear, increased controlled motivation compared to no message, but did not affect autonomous motivation or long-term behavioral intentions. In contrast, an autonomy-supportive message reduced feelings of defiance relative to the controlling message. Overall, the study highlights the risks of using shaming tactics in public health communications and emphasizes the importance of fostering autonomy to encourage sustained public health behaviors.

To cite: Dorison, C., Lerner, J., Heller, B.H., ... Lamm, C., Pronizius, E., ..., & Coles, N.A. (2022).

In COVID-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety without concomitant benefits: Experimental evidence from 84 countries. Affective Science, 3, 577-602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-022-00128-3 

For more, see https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2111091119