scholarly journals When behavioural science can make a difference in times of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
DARIO KRPAN ◽  
FADI MAKKI ◽  
NABIL SALEH ◽  
SUZANNE IRIS BRINK ◽  
HELENA VLAHINJA KLAUZNICER
Keyword(s):  
Large Study ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Behavioural Interventions ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Positive Difference ◽  
General Compliance

Abstract In a large study that involved 2637 participants recruited from a representative UK and US sample, we tested the influence of four behavioural interventions (versus control) on a range of behaviours important for reducing the spread of COVID-19 a day after the interventions were administered. Even if people largely complied with social distancing measures, our analyses showed that for certain subgroups of the population the interventions made a positive difference. More specifically, for those who started practising social distancing relatively recently, an information-based intervention increased general compliance with social distancing and reduced both the number of times people went out and the number of hours they spent outside. However, for people who started practising social distancing relatively early, the interventions tended to backfire and, in some cases, reduced compliance with social distancing. Overall, this research has various policy implications and shows that, although behavioural interventions can positively impact compliance with social distancing, their effect may depend on personal circumstances.

scholarly journals Older Adults’ Intention to Socially Isolate Once COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders Are Replaced With “Safer-at-Home” Public Health Advisories: A Survey of Respondents in Maryland

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1175-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Callow ◽  
Daniel D. Callow ◽  
Charles Smith
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Political Affiliation ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
At Home

Background: The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Belief Model (HBM) were used to examine the opinion and behaviors of older adults regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), social distancing practices, stay-at-home orders, and hypothetical public policy messaging strategies. Method: A convenience sample ( N = 242) of adults 60 and older in the state of Maryland took part in an online survey. Respondents filled out questions regarding demographic information, political affiliation, current social distancing behaviors, and TPB and HBM constructs in our proposed model. Linear regression analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were conducted to test the model. Results: Attitude toward social isolation was affected by perceived benefits and barriers to social distancing measures, perceived severity of COVID-19, and political affiliation. Behavior intention was influenced by attitude, subjective norms, political affiliation, and messaging strategies. Conclusion: The study provides support for the conceptual model and has public policy implications as authorities begin to lift stay-at-home orders.

scholarly journals Behaviour change techniques and their mechanisms of action: a synthesis of links described in published intervention literature

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Naomi Carey ◽  
Lauren Connell Bohlen ◽  
Marie Johnston ◽  
Alexander Rothman ◽  
Marijn de Bruin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Behaviour Change Techniques ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Behavioural Interventions ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Development Evaluation

Background: Despite advances in behavioural science, there is no widely shared understanding of the ‘mechanisms of action’ (MoAs) through which individual behaviour change techniques (BCTs) have their effects. Cumulative progress in the development, evaluation and synthesis of behavioural interventions could be improved by identifying the MoAs through which BCTs are believed to bring about change. Purpose: This study aimed to identify the links between BCTs and MoAs described by authors of a corpus of published literature.Methods: Links between BCTs and MoAs were extracted by two coders from 277 behaviour change intervention articles. Binomial tests were conducted to provide an indication of the relative frequency of each link. Results: Of 77 BCTs coded, 70 were linked to at least one MoA. Of 26 MoAs, all but one were linked to at least one BCT. We identified 2636 BCT-MoA links in total (mean number of links per article = 9.56, SD = 13.80). The most frequently linked MoAs were ‘Beliefs about Capabilities’ and ‘Intention’. Binomial test results identified up to five MoAs linked to each of the BCTs (M = 1.71, range: 1-5), and up to eight BCTs for each of the MoAs (M = 3.63, range: 1-8). Conclusions: The BCT-MoA links described by intervention authors and identified in this extensive review present intervention developers and reviewers with a first level of systematically collated evidence. These findings provide a resource for the development of theory-based interventions, and for theoretical understanding of intervention evaluations. The extent to which these links are empirically supported requires systematic investigation.

scholarly journals Smart Distance Lab Art Fair - An experimental data set on social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Coosje Tanis ◽  
Nina Leach ◽  
Sandra Jeanette Geiger ◽  
Floor H Nauta ◽  
Fabian Dablander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wearable Sensors ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Behavioural Interventions ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Behavioural Experiment ◽  
Environmental Measures ◽  
Insight Into

In the absence of a vaccine, social distancing behaviour is pivotal to mitigate COVID-19 virus spread. In this large-scale behavioural experiment, we gathered data during Smart Distance Lab: The Art Fair (n = 787) between August 28 and 30, 2020 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We varied walking directions (bidirectional, unidirectional, and no directions) and supplementary interventions (face mask and buzzer to alert visitors of 1.5 metres distance). We captured visitors' movements using cameras, registered their contacts (defined as within 1.5 metres) using wearable sensors, and assessed their attitudes toward COVID-19 as well as their experience during the event using questionnaires. We also registered environmental measures (e.g., humidity). In this paper, we describe this unprecedented, multi-modal experimental data set on social distancing, including psychological, behavioural, and environmental measures. The data set is available on Figshare and in a MySQL database. It can be used to gain insight into (attitudes toward) behavioural interventions promoting social distancing, to calibrate pedestrian models, and to inform new studies on behavioural interventions.

scholarly journals Estimating Household Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihaela Curmei ◽  
Andrew Ilyas ◽  
Owain Evans ◽  
Jacob Steinhardt
Keyword(s):  
Attack Rate ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Reliable Estimate ◽  
False Negatives ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Household Transmission ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Community Transmission

Introduction and GoalsSARS-CoV-2 is transmitted both in the community and within households. Social distancing and lockdowns reduce community transmission but do not directly address household transmission. We provide quantitative measures of household transmission based on empirical data, and estimate the contribution of households to overall spread. We highlight policy implications from our analysis of household transmission, and more generally, of changes in contact patterns under social distancing.MethodsWe investigate the household secondary attack rate (SAR) for SARS-CoV-2, as well as Rh, which is the average number of within-household infections caused by a single index case. We identify previous works that estimated the SAR. We correct these estimates based on the false-negative rate of PCR testing and the failure to test asymptomatics. Results are pooled by a hierarchical Bayesian random-effects model to provide a meta-analysis estimate of the SAR. We estimate Rh using results from population testing in Vo’, Italy and contact tracing data that we curate from Singapore. The code and data behind our analysis are publicly available1.ResultsWe identified nine studies of the household secondary attack rate. Our modeling suggests the SAR is heterogeneous across studies. The pooled central estimate of the SAR is 30% but with a posterior 95% credible interval of (0%, 67%) reflecting this heterogeneity. This corresponds to a posterior mean for the SAR of 30% (18%, 43%) and a standard deviation of 15% (9%, 27%). If results are not corrected for false negatives and asymptomatics, the pooled central estimate for the SAR is 20% (0%, 43%). From the same nine studies, we estimate Rh to be 0.47 (0.13, 0.77). Using contact tracing data from Singapore, we infer an Rh value of 0.32 (0.22, 0.42). Population testing data from Vo’ yields an Rh estimate of 0.37 (0.34, 0.40) after correcting for false negatives and asymptomatics.InterpretationOur estimates of Rh suggest that household transmission was a small fraction (5%-35%) of R before social distancing but a large fraction after (30%-55%). This suggests that household transmission may be an effective target for interventions. A remaining uncertainty is whether household infections actually contribute to further community transmission or are contained within households. This can be estimated given high-quality contact tracing data.More broadly, our study points to emerging contact patterns (i.e., increased time at home relative to the community) playing a role in transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We briefly highlight another instance of this phenomenon (differences in contact between essential workers and the rest of the population), provide coarse estimates of its effect on transmission, and discuss how future data could enable a more reliable estimate.

scholarly journals From libertarian paternalism to liberalism: behavioural science and policy in an age of new technology

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Dario Krpan ◽  
Milan Urbaník
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Libertarian Paternalism ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Behavioural Interventions ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Ethical Debate ◽  
Virtual And Augmented Reality

Abstract Behavioural science has been effectively used by policy makers in various domains, from health to savings. However, interventions that behavioural scientists typically employ to change behaviour have been at the centre of an ethical debate, given that they include elements of paternalism that have implications for people's freedom of choice. In the present article, we argue that this ethical debate could be resolved in the future through implementation and advancement of new technologies. We propose that several technologies which are currently available and are rapidly evolving (i.e., virtual and augmented reality, social robotics, gamification, self-quantification, and behavioural informatics) have a potential to be integrated with various behavioural interventions in a non-paternalistic way. More specifically, people would decide themselves which behaviours they want to change and select the technologies they want to use for this purpose, and the role of policy makers would be to develop transparent behavioural interventions for these technologies. In that sense, behavioural science would move from libertarian paternalism to liberalism, given that people would freely choose how they want to change, and policy makers would create technological interventions that make this change possible.

E-tailers adaptation during early stages of “social distancing causing crises”: an exploratory study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak Halan
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper studies the impact of social distancing causing crises (SDCC) such as pandemics in its early stages on e-tailers demand and supply side operations and provides a conceptual framework for adaptation.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory-based approach has been used, wherein journal papers and news articles are the key data sources. Standard qualitative methodology, including open, axial and selective coding has been followed.FindingsThe study provides second order themes derived from first-order categories, the theoretical dimensions and their interrelationships on how e-tailers need to adapt to variations in online buying behaviour, manage manpower shortage and daily necessities inventory shortage, during SDCC. Panic buying emerges as a key disrupting factor as it has multiple repercussions on demand and supply side operations of e-tailers.Research limitations/implicationsExploratory qualitative research such as this is helpful in early development of a research stream and paves the way for future quantitative studies.Practical implicationsThis study makes a valuable contribution on e-tailers adaptation to SDCC with significant managerial implications. There are social, economic and policy implications too. For academicians, this study provides a conceptual framework and serves as a springboard for future research.Originality/valueThe study is unique as perhaps it is one of the first to study e-tailers adaptation to SDCC. It contributes to a body of the literature which is currently scarce but expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

scholarly journals Double Power Law for COVID-19: Prediction of New Cases and Death Rates in Italy and Spain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir A. Osherovich ◽  
Joseph Fainberg ◽  
Lev Z. Osherovich
Keyword(s):  
Social Activity ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Long Tail ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The Face ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
The Cost

1.AbstractThe novel corona virus SARS-CoV-2 appeared at the end of 2019, spreading rapidly and causing a severe respiratory syndrome (COVID-19) with high mortality (2-5%). Until a vaccine or therapy is found, the most effective method of prophylaxis has been to minimize transmission via rigorous social distancing and seclusion of all but essential workers. Such measures, implemented at different times and to varying degrees world-wide, have reduced the rate of transmission compared with early phases of the pandemic, resulting in “flattening of the curve” followed by a gradual reduction in mortality after >6 weeks of rigorous social distancing measures. The cost of rigorous social distancing has been seen in radically reduced economic activity, job losses, disruption of schooling and social institutions. A key question facing policy makers and individuals is when to resume normal economic and social activity in the face of persistent community transmission of SARS-CoV-2. To help address this question, we have developed a model that accurately describes the entire transmission and mortality curves in Italy and Spain, two hard-hit countries that have maintained severe social distancing measures for over 2 months. Our model quantitatively describes the rapid rise and slow decay of new cases and deaths observed under stringent social distancing (the “long tail” effect). We predict that even when social distancing is rigorously maintained, the number of COVID-19 deaths after peak mortality may be 2 – 3 times larger than the total number of deaths up to the peak. Our model has important policy implications for countries currently debating how to ease social distancing measures.

scholarly journals The case for laboratory experiments in behavioural public policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER D. LUNN ◽  
ÁINE NÍ CHOISDEALBHA
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Behavioural Science ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Randomised Controlled

AbstractBehavioural science is increasingly applied to policy in many countries. While the empirical approach to policy development is welcome, we argue with reference to existing literature that laboratory experiments are presently underused in this domain, relative to field studies. Assumptions that field experiments, including randomised controlled trials, produce more generalisable results than laboratory experiments are often misplaced. This is because the experimental control offered by the laboratory allows underlying psychological mechanisms to be isolated and tested. We use examples from recent research on energy efficiency and financial decision-making to argue that mechanism-focused laboratory research is often not only complementary to field research, but also necessary to interpreting field results, and that such research can have direct policy implications. The issues discussed illustrate that in some policy contexts a well-designed laboratory study can be a good – perhaps the best – way to answer the kinds of research questions that policy-makers ask.

scholarly journals Parent Perceptions of Audiology and Speech–Language Services and Support for Young Children With Cochlear Implants

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-151
Author(s):  
Patrick Michael Kelly ◽  
Erik Drasgow
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ◽  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Parent Perceptions ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Positive Difference ◽  
Services And Supports ◽  
Family Centered

Parents of young children diagnosed with severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss are selecting cochlear implants at an increasing rate. Audiologists and speech–language pathologists are typically involved in habilitation activities following implantation. These clinicians depend upon parents to participate in habilitation activities. However, little information exists regarding parents’ perspectives on the services and supports audiologists and speech–language pathologists provide. The purpose of this study was to investigate parents’ postimplantation perceptions about the importance of different services provided and to measure their satisfaction with the support provided to them. Results revealed that parents were overwhelmingly positive about audiologists’ and speech–language pathologists’ services and support, but preferred services that directly benefited the child over those that supported the parent. Parents favored a family-centered approach in services but indicated that the greatest overall positive difference in services and support was for their child, followed by the positive difference for themselves, and then for other family members. We end by discussing the policy implications of our results.

scholarly journals Projecting the impact of behaviour and isolation interventions and super spreader events from mass gatherings and international travel on Malaysia’s COVID-19 epidemic trajectories using an augmented SEIR model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidonna Jan Ayub ◽  
Gregory Ho Wai Son ◽  
Khayriyyah Mohd Hanafiah
Keyword(s):  
International Travel ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Intervention Effectiveness ◽  
Behavioural Interventions ◽  
Seir Model ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Mass Gatherings ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundVarious levels of lockdown implemented to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 are not long-term solutions due to socioeconomic implications.MethodsTo inform safe reopening, we used an augmented SEIR model to project the impact of 1) interventions and potential new epidemic trajectories arising from super spreader (SS) events and/or international travel and 2) re-introducing strong behavioural interventions on resurgence trajectories.ResultsOur model suggests that 50% behaviour intervention effectiveness (BIE) (from enforced social distancing during lockdown, early in the epidemic), along with 50% isolation intervention effectiveness (IIE) (from increased testing and isolating infected individuals) was achieved during lockdown, which curbed COVID-19 transmission in Malaysia. Post-lockdown, BIE plays a minimal role if IIE reaches or exceeds 46.9% when other variables are held constant. At IIE of 30% and BIE of 21.3%, SS events of 5,000 active cases risks COVID-19 resurgence, with 4-year projected 12.9mn cumulative cases and 1.1mn deaths. Earlier action to increase BIE to 50% on day 98 compared to day 111, prevented an additional 21,401 recovered cases and 257 deaths.ConclusionUntil a safe and effective vaccine is widely available, the risk of COVID-19 resurgence from large SS events warrants caution in decisions to allow for mass gatherings and regular international travel.

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