Self-esteem influences the willingness to engage in COVID-19 prevention behavior and persuasion efficacy

Anika Stuppy and Robert W. Smith

Social Science & Medicine, 2023, vol. 320, issue C

Abstract: Behaviors such as hand-washing and vaccination save human lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Yet, people differ widely in their willingness to engage in them. This investigation examines whether people's willingness to protect themselves physically from contracting coronavirus depends on their self-esteem. Based on self-verification theory, we propose that people who hold negative self-views are less motivated to protect their health which reduces their willingness to engage in recommended preventive measures such as mask-wearing and social-distancing.

Keywords: Self-Esteem; COVID-19; Health motivation; Self-verification; Persuasion; Health belief model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:320:y:2023:i:c:s0277953623000710

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115715

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