Information Safety Assurances Increase Intentions to Use COVID-19 Contact Tracing Applications, Regardless of Autonomy-Supportive or Controlling Message Framing

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Emma L. Bradshaw¹  Richard M. Ryan¹  Michael Noetel²  Alexander K. Saeri³  Peter Slattery³  Emily Grundy³  Rafael Calvo⁴ 

[1] Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University;School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Australian Catholic University;Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University;Dyson School of Design Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

关键词: coronavirus;    autonomy;    information security;    self-determination theory;    controlling;    message framing;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591638

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Promoting the use of contact tracing technology will be an important step in global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Across two studies, we assessed two messaging strategies as motivators of intended contact tracing uptake. In one sample of 1117 Australian adults and one sample of 888 American adults, we examined autonomy-supportive and controlling message framing and the presence or absence of information safety as predictors of intended contact tracing application uptake, using an online randomized 2 × 2 experimental design. The results suggested that the provision of data safety assurances may be key in affecting people’s intentions to use contact tracing technology, an effect we found in both samples regardless of whether messages were framed as autonomy-supportive or controlling. Those in high information safety conditions consistently reported higher intended uptake and more positive perceptions of the application than those in low information safety conditions. In Study 2, we also found that perceptions of government legitimacy related positively to intended application uptake, as did political affiliation. In sum, individuals appeared more willing to assent to authority regarding contact tracing insofar as their data safety can be assured. Yet, public messaging strategies alone may be insufficient to initiate intentions to change behavior, even in these unprecedented circumstances.

【 授权许可】

CC BY