From mask wearing to physical distancing, individuals wield a lot of power in how the coronavirus outbreak plays out. Behavioral experts reveal what might be prompting people to act — or not.
With many states and towns lifting strict stay-at-home orders, people are faced with a growing number of new decisions. Mundane logistical questions — Should I go get my hair cut? When can I picnic with friends? What should I wear to the hardware store? — during the Covid-19 pandemic carry implications for personal and public health, in some cases life-or-death ones.
When multiplied through the population, seemingly small decisions have the power to either dramatically slow or accelerate this pandemic. It puts the nuances of decision-making front and center.
We might like to think that our behavioral choices, especially around something so important as a global pandemic, are based purely on the best information we have.
But that isn’t the case, say experts in behavioral science and social psychology. In fact, we are all susceptible to biases that push and pull our brains in invisible ways.
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