The Challenge of Human Psychology to Effective Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic

When it comes to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of measures against the disease, many citizens worldwide do not trust their governments or health authorities. This brief essay discusses several psychological mechanisms which, under certain conditions, lead people to ignore...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Society (New Brunswick) 2021-04, Vol.58 (2), p.131-134
Main Authors: Houdek, Petr, Koblovský, Petr, Vranka, Marek
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognitive dissonance
Cognitive style
Control
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Czech Republic
Epidemics
Evaluation
Health authorities
Health problems
Information sources
International aspects
Mental health
Pandemics
Political Science
Psychological aspects
Psychological mechanisms
Psychological reactance
Psychology
Public health administration
Social aspects
Social Science and Public Policy
Social Sciences
Sociology
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Summary:When it comes to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of measures against the disease, many citizens worldwide do not trust their governments or health authorities. This brief essay discusses several psychological mechanisms which, under certain conditions, lead people to ignore important sources of information and hinder effective management of the epidemic. The paper shows that understanding psychological mechanisms, such as information neglect, cognitive dissonance, psychological reactance, and, in general, the diversity of people’s thinking styles, may help leaders design more effective government communications.
ISSN:0147-2011
1936-4725
DOI:10.1007/s12115-021-00575-x