To Wear or Not to Wear: Analysis of Individuals’ Tendency to Wear Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Min Wang, Caiyue Zhao and Jing Fan
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Min Wang: Department of Business Administration, International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing 100089, China
Caiyue Zhao: Department of Business Administration, International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing 100089, China
Jing Fan: Department of Management Science and Engineering, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing 100089, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of Chinese people wearing masks was very high, as was the acceptance and initiative toward mask wearing. This national action merits our exploration of the psychological reasons as well as the general social and environmental factors behind this behavior. In this article, we integrated the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT 2) as well as Health Belief Model and set up a mask acceptance model. We used a questionnaire survey and received 337 valid questionnaires. The results indicate that social influence, perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived hedonic benefit (appearance enhancement), and a perceived barrier (hindrance to communication) exert significant influences on the willingness to wear masks. Meanwhile, social influence plays an intermediary role between interdependent self-construal and intention to wear a mask. We hope to reveal the micro psychological reasons for the national action and reflect on the cultural characteristics of Chinese people in the special context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; mask wearing; Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT 2); Health Belief Model; cultural difference; social influence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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