Social values, self- and collective efficacy explaining behaviours in coping with Covid-19: Self-interested consumption and physical distancing in the first 10 days of confinement in Spain

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 9; p. e0238682
• Main Authors: Tabernero, Carmen, Castillo-Mayén, Rosario, Luque, Bárbara, Cuadrado, Esther
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 17.09.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Attitude to Health; Behavior; Betacoronavirus; Biology and Life Sciences; Communicable Disease Control - legislation & jurisprudence; Communicable Disease Control - methods; Confinement; Conservation; Consumer Behavior; Consumption; Control; Coping (Psychology); Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Infections - psychology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Demographic variables; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Health aspects; Health behavior; Health risks; Humans; Medical supplies; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; Perceptions; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - psychology; Psychological aspects; Regulations; SARS-CoV-2; Security; Self Efficacy; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Social aspects; Social distancing; Social distancing (Public health); Social isolation; Social Sciences; Social Values; Spain - epidemiology; State of emergency; Threats; Viruses; Young Adult; Spain; Italy; China
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238682

The appearance of a new coronavirus (Covid-19) and its rapid expansion throughout the world has forced all countries to establish regulations based on social confinement. In the early days of a pandemic, the adherence to regulations is crucial to be able to block its spread. This research aims to analyse the relationship between motivational variables associated with physical distancing and self-interested consumption behaviours in the first 10 days of confinement in Spain. A total of 1,324 people participated throughout the country (mean age 28.92 years). Participants answered an online survey about socio-demographic, motivational variables, which included a) risk information seeking, b) confidence in self- and collective efficacy in coping with the pandemic, and c) the four higher-order personal values ‒conservation (security, conformity, and tradition), self-transcendence (universalism and benevolence), openness (self-direction actions and stimulation), and self-improvement (hedonism and power) ‒ and the aforementioned behaviours in coping with Covid-19. Results showed a positive association between self- and collective efficacy and both coping behaviours analysed: a protective role of conservation values on normative behaviours; and a negative relationship between self-transcendence values and self-interested consumption. Additionally, risk information seeking was positively associated with the development of physical distancing behaviour.