According to a new study, people who defy public health rules like mask-wearing or vaccinations are socially conservative and more prone to boredom.
- Bored and socially conservative people are also the most distrustful of health recommendations such as wearing a mask or getting vaccinated.
- Openly breaking public health rules is a sign of political protest for them, which reinforces their sense of identity.
- The researchers insist on the need to reorient the discourse on public health by focusing more on what people can do rather than what they cannot do.
Restrictive, useless and even dangerous measures for health… Since the beginning of the health crisis, protesting voices have been raised to oppose the public health rules enacted by the various States. Against wearing a mask, but also against the rules of social distancing and against vaccination, these citizens are increasingly visible in the media space, and sometimes do not hesitate to openly break public health rules such as political protest sign.
But who are these refractory to health measures? In a new study published in the journal Motivation and Emotionresearchers in psychology from the universities of Waterloo (Canada), Duke (United States) and Essex (England) have looked into the question.
A conservative and conspiratorial profile
Previous studies had already demonstrated a link between a high propensity to boredom and non-compliance with public health rules. In this new work, the researchers showed that people refusing to wear a mask and vaccination also showed social conservatism. According to James Danckert, professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo, public health measures “have become very politicized”. “People who see these measures as a threat to their identity, and who suffer a lot from boredom, find that breaking the rules helps them restore meaning and identity. Boredom threatens our need to make sense of life. life and things like politics can enhance our sense of identity and meaning.”
The researchers came to this conclusion after asking more than 900 people to answer questions about boredom, political ideology and adherence to public health measures such as wearing a mask or Prohibition to socialize with people outside his household. They then applied various statistical analysis techniques to explore the relationships underlying these elements.
These results are close to those of another study, this time conducted in France by Antoine Bristielle. On behalf of the Jean Jaurès Foundation, this associate professor of social sciences and researcher at SciencesPo Grenoble had drawn up the profile of anti-masks last summer, and had noted that the latter expressed a distrust of political institutions. and media. Thus, only 6% of them say they have confidence in the presidential institution and 2% in political parties. In the 2017 presidential election, 42% did not vote in the first round and, among those who voted, 27% chose Marine Le Pen and 19% Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Their answers to the questionnaire had also underlined their conspiratorial profile: 52% of respondents said they believed in the Illuminati (against 27% in the French population), 56% in the “great replacement” (25% in the French population) or 52% in a “Zionist plot” (against 22% in France) .
Emphasize common values rather than individual responsibility
For the researchers of the study, this work shows that it is essential to adapt public health discourse and communication to these profiles. For example, emphasizing what people can do rather than what they cannot do, to help people anchor their sense of identity and control.
“Many restrictions have become highly politicized and much of the messaging from governments has been about personal responsibility, analyzes Professor Danckert. But it can lead to pointing and blaming, which sets most of us back. What we need is to promote our common values - the things we have in common and the positives that we can recover if we stick together.”
