Pairing facts with imagined consequences improves pandemic-related risk perception

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2100970118
• Publication Date: 2021-08-02T20:38:00Z
• Authors: Alyssa H. Sinclair; Shabnam Hakimi; Matthew L. Stanley; R. Alison Adcock; Gregory R. Samane...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; SARS-CoV-2; 05 social sciences; Social Sciences; COVID-19; 3. Good health; Young Adult; Mental Health; Risk-Taking; Surveys and Questionnaires; Humans; Perception; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Public Health; Pandemics

Significance During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals have been forced to balance conflicting needs: stay-at-home guidelines mitigate the spread of the disease but often at the expense of people’s mental health and economic stability. To balance these needs, individuals should be mindful of actual local virus transmission risk. We found that although pandemic-related risk perception was likely inaccurate, perceived risk closely predicted compliance with public health guidelines. Realigning perceived and actual risk is crucial for combating pandemic fatigue and slowing the spread of disease. Therefore, we developed a fast and effective intervention to realign perceived risk with actual risk. Our intervention improved perceived risk and reduced willingness to engage in risky activities, both immediately and after a 1- to 3-wk delay.