Mitigating The Spread Of COVID-19 In Mass Transit Using Behavioral Science

Many guidelines are hard to follow because they involve regulating largely unconscious behaviours. Despite a general willingness to comply with official guidelines, it is hard for people to do so. Take the recommendation to avoid touching one's face: The behaviour can transmit virus from one's hands to one's eyes, nose, or mouth, which in turn can cause self-infection. Unfortunately, face touching is habitual, and evidence shows that when people are made aware of touching their face, they do it more. This project aims to assess the effects of public awareness campaigns aimed at helping people to reduce the rate at which they touch their face. It also pays attention to the polarised environment in which such campaigns are fielded by focusing on the messenger behind the campaigns. In a randomized controlled trial, it will investigate the effectiveness of these messages and test hypotheses related to how different messengers and whether a message becomes politicised affect observance with the advice. Specifically, it will assign survey participants to a combination of a messenger and a poster either designed to raise awareness of Covid-19 or designed to raise awareness of Covid and move attention to reducing face touching frequency by keeping hands occupied. The study outcomes will be a behavioural outcome for face touching frequency in recorded video responses, planned observance to guidelines, and message credibility.