Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice

Koula Asimakopoulou; Vera Hoorens; Ewen Speed; Neil S. Coulson; Dominika Antoniszczak; Fran Collyer; Eliane Deschrijver; Leslie Dubbin; Denise Faulks; Rowena Forsyth; Vicky Goltsi; Ivan Harslof; Kristian Larsen; Irene Manaras; Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk; Karen Willis; Tatiana Xenou; Sasha Scambler

doi:10.1111/hex.13134

Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice

Koula Asimakopoulou^*, Vera Hoorens, Ewen Speed, Neil S. Coulson, Dominika Antoniszczak, Fran Collyer, Eliane Deschrijver, Leslie Dubbin, Denise Faulks, Rowena Forsyth, Vicky Goltsi, Ivan Harslof, Kristian Larsen, Irene Manaras, Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk, Karen Willis, Tatiana Xenou, Sasha Scambler

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people's health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people's thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparativelypessimistic(ie thinking they weremoreat risk than others for developing COVID-19-related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is the first ever study to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults' thinking about COVID-19 We discuss ways in which such thinking may influence adherence with lockdown regimes as these are being relaxed in the UK.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1502-1511
Number of pages	10
Journal	Health Expectations
Volume	23
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134
Publication status	Published - Dec 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2020. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

comparative optimism
COVID-19
lockdown
risk perceptions
unrealistic optimism

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10.1111/hex.13134Licence: CC BY

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 765 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Asimakopoulou, K., Hoorens, V., Speed, E., Coulson, N. S., Antoniszczak, D., Collyer, F., Deschrijver, E., Dubbin, L., Faulks, D., Forsyth, R., Goltsi, V., Harslof, I., Larsen, K., Manaras, I., Olczak-Kowalczyk, D., Willis, K., Xenou, T., & Scambler, S. (2020). Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice. Health Expectations, 23(6), 1502-1511. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134

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title = "Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice",

abstract = "Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people's health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people's thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparativelypessimistic(ie thinking they weremoreat risk than others for developing COVID-19-related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is the first ever study to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults' thinking about COVID-19 We discuss ways in which such thinking may influence adherence with lockdown regimes as these are being relaxed in the UK.",

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author = "Koula Asimakopoulou and Vera Hoorens and Ewen Speed and Coulson, {Neil S.} and Dominika Antoniszczak and Fran Collyer and Eliane Deschrijver and Leslie Dubbin and Denise Faulks and Rowena Forsyth and Vicky Goltsi and Ivan Harslof and Kristian Larsen and Irene Manaras and Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk and Karen Willis and Tatiana Xenou and Sasha Scambler",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2020. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1111/hex.13134",

language = "English",

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Asimakopoulou, K, Hoorens, V, Speed, E, Coulson, NS, Antoniszczak, D, Collyer, F, Deschrijver, E, Dubbin, L, Faulks, D, Forsyth, R, Goltsi, V, Harslof, I, Larsen, K, Manaras, I, Olczak-Kowalczyk, D, Willis, K, Xenou, T & Scambler, S 2020, 'Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice', Health Expectations, vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 1502-1511. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134

TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice

AU - Asimakopoulou, Koula

AU - Hoorens, Vera

AU - Speed, Ewen

AU - Coulson, Neil S.

AU - Antoniszczak, Dominika

AU - Collyer, Fran

AU - Deschrijver, Eliane

AU - Dubbin, Leslie

AU - Faulks, Denise

AU - Forsyth, Rowena

AU - Goltsi, Vicky

AU - Harslof, Ivan

AU - Larsen, Kristian

AU - Manaras, Irene

AU - Olczak-Kowalczyk, Dorota

AU - Willis, Karen

AU - Xenou, Tatiana

AU - Scambler, Sasha

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2020. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people's health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people's thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparativelypessimistic(ie thinking they weremoreat risk than others for developing COVID-19-related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is the first ever study to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults' thinking about COVID-19 We discuss ways in which such thinking may influence adherence with lockdown regimes as these are being relaxed in the UK.

AB - Background Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people's health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people's thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. Methods Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. Findings Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparativelypessimistic(ie thinking they weremoreat risk than others for developing COVID-19-related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. Discussion This is the first ever study to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults' thinking about COVID-19 We discuss ways in which such thinking may influence adherence with lockdown regimes as these are being relaxed in the UK.

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DO - 10.1111/hex.13134

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JO - Health Expectations

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Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice

Abstract

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