Physical distancing during the COVID-19 crisis: The roles of threat and moralization

Abstract

One reason why the COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge to public health is that individuals struggled to adhere to virus protective behaviors, such as physical distancing. To aid understanding why people engaged in distancing practices, we investigated the role of threat perceptions and the moralization of physical distancing. We collected longitudinal data from 340 US citizens across five measurement waves from April 2020 to June 2021. Results showed that individuals who perceived COVID-19 as more threatening, and those who more strongly moralized physical distancing, were more likely to engage in physical distancing behavior. Moreover, the effect of threat perceptions on physical distancing behavior was mediated by moralization of physical distancing. These results provide new insights into the adherence to physical distancing behaviors during pandemics and underscore the importance of moralization in shaping behavior.