COVID-19 Message Fatigue: How Does It Predict Preventive Behavioral Intentions and What Types of Information are People Tired of Hearing About?

This study examines the impact of message fatigue and what makes people fatigued in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected with a Qualtrics panel (N = 744) showed that both active (i.e., reactance) and passive (i.e., inattention) resistance in message processing mediated the relationsh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health communication 2023-07, Vol.38 (8), p.1631-1640
Main Authors: Guan, Mengfei, Li, Yachao, Scoles, Jessica D., Zhu, Yaguang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attention
Attention deficits
COVID-19
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 - prevention & control
Disease control
Fatigue
Hearing
Humans
Intention
Masks
Message processing
Pandemics
Pandemics - prevention & control
Public health
Reactance
Resistance
Washing
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Summary:This study examines the impact of message fatigue and what makes people fatigued in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected with a Qualtrics panel (N = 744) showed that both active (i.e., reactance) and passive (i.e., inattention) resistance in message processing mediated the relationships between message fatigue and intentions to follow three types of preventive behaviors against COVID-19 (i.e., wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands). The indirect effect of message fatigue on intention to seek COVID-19 information was explained by inattention but not reactance. Analyses of open-ended responses identified 18 types of COVID-related information that individuals were tired of hearing about. About 73.38% of participants (n = 546) reported that they were tired of hearing about at least one type of information about COVID-19, with mask-wearing being the most frequently mentioned (21.91%). The results extend existing research on message fatigue-evoked resistance to persuasion and provide practical implications for public health message design.
ISSN:1041-0236
1532-7027
DOI:10.1080/10410236.2021.2023385