Abstract
Mandatory and voluntary mask policies may have yet unknown social and behavioral consequences related to the effectiveness of the measure, stigmatization, and perceived fairness. Serial cross-sectional data (April 14 to May 26, 2020) from nearly 7,000 German participants demonstrate that implementing a mandatory policy increased actual compliance despite moderate acceptance; mask wearing correlated positively with other protective behaviors. A preregistered experiment (n = 925) further indicates that a voluntary policy would likely lead to insufficient compliance, would be perceived as less fair, and could intensify stigmatization. A mandatory policy appears to be an effective, fair, and socially responsible solution to curb transmissions of airborne viruses.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 21851-21853 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
Volume | 117 |
Issue number | 36 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 8 Sept 2020 |
Externally published | Yes |
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501021 Social psychology
Keywords
- COVID-19
- face masks
- pandemic
- policy