Evaluation, Adherence, and Reporting: When, Why, and How College Students Support New Behavioral Norms During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Social Sciences
Psychology 195A
To enable the safe re-opening of college campuses across the United States, it is crucial that we first understand the extent to which students support and oppose behavioral norms intended to cease the spread of COVID-19. These norms include regulations concerning: social distancing, quarantine, and mask-wearing. The act of following, or reporting the violation of these norms, presents students with complex dilemmas: concerns of public health versus students’ concerns with establishing and maintaining close and loyal relationships. This study will use a survey method to examine how closeness within a relationship (relation), perception of the threat of COVID-19 (virus severity rating), and the specific type of pro-health norm being violated (behavior), can determine college students’ likelihood of accepting or rejecting COVID-19 pro-health norms. This study will additionally investigate participants’ willingness to follow and report violations of these norms. Other individual difference variables evaluated include: susceptibility to peer group influence (need to belong), and the motive of the individual for breaking the pro-health norm (motive). The findings of this study will inform both moral psychological theories of how individuals accept or reject new behavioral norms, and campus efforts to re-open safely during the pandemic.
