{"title":"Interpersonal distance perception during the normalization of an pandemic situation: Effects of mask-wearing and vaccination","authors":"Xiaoqing Yu, Chun-Hsien Chen, Ziqing Xia, Congyi Wang, Wei Xiong","doi":"10.1002/pchj.719","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anti-pandemic measures, including wearing a face mask and receiving vaccinations, on interpersonal distance (IPD) during the normalization stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual reality (VR) technology was used to simulate the experimental environment and a confederate in different conditions. Thirty-one participants were asked to approach the virtual confederate, who could exhibit three vaccination states and two mask-wearing conditions, actively and passively in both indoor and outdoor environments. ANOVA results showed that the participants kept a smaller IPD from the confederate wearing a face mask (IPD = 125.6 cm) than from the one without a face mask (IPD = 154.2 cm). The effects of vaccination states were significant, with the largest distance for an unvaccinated confederate (IPD = 182.3 cm) and the smallest distance for the confederate who had received a booster vaccine (IPD = 111.5 cm). Significant effects of environment were also found, with the participants maintaining a larger IPD in an outdoor environment (IPD = 143.4 cm) than in an indoor room (IPD = 136.4 cm). Additionally, the IPD collected when the participants were passively approached (IPD = 149.6 cm) was significantly larger than that obtained when they actively approached the confederate (IPD = 130.3 cm). Moreover, when the participants faced a confederate who had received a booster vaccine and wore a mask, the IPD was not significantly different from that collected before the COVID-19 pandemic in both the active and passive patterns. These findings help us to better understand the nature of IPD and human behaviors during the normalization stage of the pandemic and provide scientific suggestions for policymakers to develop pandemic-prevention measures.","PeriodicalId":20804,"journal":{"name":"PsyCh journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"PsyCh journal","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.719","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anti-pandemic measures, including wearing a face mask and receiving vaccinations, on interpersonal distance (IPD) during the normalization stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual reality (VR) technology was used to simulate the experimental environment and a confederate in different conditions. Thirty-one participants were asked to approach the virtual confederate, who could exhibit three vaccination states and two mask-wearing conditions, actively and passively in both indoor and outdoor environments. ANOVA results showed that the participants kept a smaller IPD from the confederate wearing a face mask (IPD = 125.6 cm) than from the one without a face mask (IPD = 154.2 cm). The effects of vaccination states were significant, with the largest distance for an unvaccinated confederate (IPD = 182.3 cm) and the smallest distance for the confederate who had received a booster vaccine (IPD = 111.5 cm). Significant effects of environment were also found, with the participants maintaining a larger IPD in an outdoor environment (IPD = 143.4 cm) than in an indoor room (IPD = 136.4 cm). Additionally, the IPD collected when the participants were passively approached (IPD = 149.6 cm) was significantly larger than that obtained when they actively approached the confederate (IPD = 130.3 cm). Moreover, when the participants faced a confederate who had received a booster vaccine and wore a mask, the IPD was not significantly different from that collected before the COVID-19 pandemic in both the active and passive patterns. These findings help us to better understand the nature of IPD and human behaviors during the normalization stage of the pandemic and provide scientific suggestions for policymakers to develop pandemic-prevention measures.
期刊介绍:
PsyCh Journal, China''s first international psychology journal, publishes peer‑reviewed research articles, research reports and integrated research reviews spanning the entire spectrum of scientific psychology and its applications. PsyCh Journal is the flagship journal of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences – the only national psychology research institute in China – and reflects the high research standards of the nation. Launched in 2012, PsyCh Journal is devoted to the publication of advanced research exploring basic mechanisms of the human mind and behavior, and delivering scientific knowledge to enhance understanding of culture and society. Towards that broader goal, the Journal will provide a forum for academic exchange and a “knowledge bridge” between China and the World by showcasing high-quality, cutting-edge research related to the science and practice of psychology both within and outside of China. PsyCh Journal features original articles of both empirical and theoretical research in scientific psychology and interdisciplinary sciences, across all levels, from molecular, cellular and system, to individual, group and society. The Journal also publishes evaluative and integrative review papers on any significant research contribution in any area of scientific psychology