Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice. / Asimakopoulou, Koula; Hoorens, Vera; Speed, Ewen; Coulson, Neil S.; Antoniszczak, Dominika; Collyer, Fran; Deschrijver, Eliane; Dubbin, Leslie; Faulks, Denise; Forsyth, Rowena; Goltsi, Vicky; Harsløf, Ivan; Larsen, Kristian; Manaras, Irene; Olczak-Kowalczyk, Dorota; Willis, Karen; Xenou, Tatiana; Scambler, Sasha.
I: Health Expectations, Bind 23, Nr. 6, 2020, s. 1502-1511.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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T1 - Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice
AU - Asimakopoulou, Koula
AU - Hoorens, Vera
AU - Speed, Ewen
AU - Coulson, Neil S.
AU - Antoniszczak, Dominika
AU - Collyer, Fran
AU - Deschrijver, Eliane
AU - Dubbin, Leslie
AU - Faulks, Denise
AU - Forsyth, Rowena
AU - Goltsi, Vicky
AU - Harsløf, Ivan
AU - Larsen, Kristian
AU - Manaras, Irene
AU - Olczak-Kowalczyk, Dorota
AU - Willis, Karen
AU - Xenou, Tatiana
AU - Scambler, Sasha
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Background: Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people’s health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people’s thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods: Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings: Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P <.001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID-19-related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion: This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults’ thinking about COVID-19.
AB - Background: Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people’s health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people’s thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods: Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings: Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P <.001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID-19-related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion: This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults’ thinking about COVID-19.
KW - comparative optimism
KW - COVID-19
KW - lockdown
KW - risk perceptions
KW - unrealistic optimism
U2 - 10.1111/hex.13134
DO - 10.1111/hex.13134
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32985115
AN - SCOPUS:85091499587
VL - 23
SP - 1502
EP - 1511
JO - Health Expectations
JF - Health Expectations
SN - 1369-6513
IS - 6
ER -
ID: 270551363