Face masks increase compliance with physical distancing recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Arbeitspapier

Governments across the world have implemented restrictive policies to slow the spread of COVID-19. Recommended face mask use has been a controversially discussed policy, among others, due to potential adverse effects on physical distancing. Using a randomized field experiment (N=300), we show that individuals keep a significantly larger distance from someone wearing a face mask than from an unmasked person. According to an additional survey experiment (N=456), masked individuals are not perceived as being more infectious than unmasked ones, but they are believed to prefer more distancing. This result suggests that, in times where mask use is voluntary, wearing a mask serves as a social signal for a preferred greater distance that is respected by others. Our findings provide strong evidence against the claim that mask use creates a false sense of security that would negatively affect physical distancing.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Discussion Paper ; No. 253

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Field Experiments ; Health Behavior
• Subject: COVID-19 ; Health Policy ; Compliance ; Face Masks ; Risk Compensation ; Field Experiment

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Seres, Gyula ; Balleyer, Anna Helen ; Cerutti, Nicola ; Danilov, Anastasia ; Friedrichsen, Jana ; Liu, Yiming ; Süer, Müge
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190 - Rationality and Competition
• (where): München und Berlin
• (when): 2020

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/224069
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET