Self-Persuasion Increases Motivation for Social Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic Through Moral Obligation

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments use direct persuasion to encourage social isolation. Since self-persuasion is a more effective method of encouraging behavioural changes, using an experimental approach, we compared direct persuasion to self-persuasion on underlying motivations for voluntary social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked the participants (N = 375) to write three arguments in support of social isolation (self-persuasion condition) or to evaluate three government graphics containing arguments for social isolation (direct persuasion condition). Then we asked the participants to evaluate perceived own vulnerability to COVID-19, the perceived severity of COVID-19, moral obligation to socially isolate and the attitude toward social isolation. Self-persuasion had a significant impact on the moral obligation to socially isolate, and through it on self-isolation intention. We also found evidence that individuals who perceived greater benefits from social is.... https://spb.psychopen.eu/index.php/spb/article/view/4415

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Self-Persuasion Increases Motivation for Social Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic Through Moral Obligation ; volume:15 ; number:4 ; day:23 ; month:12 ; year:2020 ; Social psychological bulletin ; 15, Heft 4 (23.12.2020)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Drążkowski, Dariusz ; Trepanowski, Radosław ; Chwiłkowska, Patrycja ; Majewska, Magda

Further information

• DOI: 10.32872/spb.4415
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2021050105095772650591
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:49 AM CEST