Application of the Health Action Process Approach to Social Distancing Behavior During COVID‐19
Hamilton, K., Smith, S. R., Keech, J. J., Moyers, S. A., & Hagger, M. S. (2020). Application of the Health Action Process Approach to Social Distancing Behavior During COVID‐19. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 12(4), 1244-1269. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12231
Published in
Applied Psychology: Health and Well-BeingAuthors
Date
2020Copyright
© 2020 International Association of Applied Psychology
Background
This study examined the social cognition determinants of social distancing behavior during the COVID‐19 pandemic in samples from Australia and the US guided by the health action process approach (HAPA).
Methods
Participants (Australia: N = 495, 50.1% women; US: N = 701, 48.9% women) completed HAPA social cognition constructs at an initial time‐point (T1), and one week later (T2) self‐reported their social distancing behavior.
Results
Single‐indicator structural equation models that excluded and included past behavior exhibited adequate fit with the data. Intention and action control were significant predictors of social distancing behavior in both samples, and intention predicted action and coping planning in the US sample. Self‐efficacy and action control were significant predictors of intention in both samples, with attitudes predicting intention in the Australia sample and risk perceptions predicting intention in the US sample. Significant indirect effects of social cognition constructs through intentions were observed. Inclusion of past behavior attenuated model effects. Multigroup analysis revealed no differences in model fit across samples, suggesting that observed variations in the parameter estimates were relatively trivial.
Conclusion
Results indicate that social distancing is a function of motivational and volitional processes. This knowledge can be used to inform messaging regarding social distancing during COVID‐19 and in future pandemics.
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Publisher
Wiley-BlackwellISSN Search the Publication Forum
1758-0846Keywords
Publication in research information system
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/42357394
Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
- Liikuntatieteiden tiedekunta [2919]
Related funder(s)
TEKESAdditional information about funding
Martin S. Hagger’s contribution was supported by a Finland Distinguished Pro-fessor (FiDiPro) award (Dnro 1801/31/2015) from Business Finland.License
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