Exploring How Media Influence Preventive Behavior and Excessive Preventive Intention during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Liqun Liu, Jingzhong Xie, Ke Li and Suhe Ji
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Liqun Liu: Center for Studies of Media Development, Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Universities, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Jingzhong Xie: School of Journalism and Communication, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Ke Li: Center for Studies of Media Development, Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Universities, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Suhe Ji: School of Foreign Languages, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430072, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-27

Abstract: In the context of global fighting against the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, how to promote the public implementation of preventive behavior is the top priority of pandemic prevention and control. This study aimed at probing how the media would affect the public’s preventive behavior and excessive preventive intention accordingly. Data were collected from 653 respondents in the Chinese mainland through online questionnaires and further analyzed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Taking risk perception, negative emotions, and subjective norms as mediators, this study explored the impact of mass media exposure and social networking services involvement on preventive behavior and excessive preventive intention. Based on differences in the severity of the pandemic, the samples were divided into the Wuhan group and other regions group for multi-group comparison. The results showed that mass media exposure had a significant positive impact on subjective norms; moreover, mass media exposure could significantly enhance preventive behavior through subjective norms, and social networking services involvement had a significant positive impact on negative emotions; meanwhile, social networking services involvement promoted excessive preventive intention through negative emotions.

Keywords: COVID-19; mass media exposure; social networking services involvement; preventive behavior; excessive preventive intention; PLS-SEM; multi-group comparison (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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