Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
The researchers plan to conduct survey experiments examining which public health messages are most effective in increasing compliance with social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also examine whether this type of messaging changes attitudes and beliefs about those who are not cooperating with social distancing efforts. They will measure their behavioral intentions, attitudes, and beliefs after treatment. They will also collect basic demographic information.
Who can participate?
Americans over the age of 18 are eligible. The researchers are using You Gov panels to get a census representative sample of participants.
What does the study involve?
Participants will spend at minimum 30 seconds on the survey page that shows them the messages to give them ample time to read it. After reading the message, subjects complete questionnaires measuring (1) intended social distancing behaviors, (2) food-related behaviors, (3) evaluations of others based on their social distancing behavior, (4) beliefs about the efficacy and importance of social distancing, (5) mask-wearing, (6) interest in receiving a future COVID-19 vaccine, and (7) different ways of voting in the November 2020 election. The study then concludes with a short debrief that highlights the importance of social distancing and provides participants with a link to learn more.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no direct benefits to participating, nor are there any known risks. The study will help policymakers develop evidence-based messaging strategies to promote social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Where is the study run from?
Yale University (USA)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
May 2020 to July 2020
Who is funding the study?
Investigator initiated and funded
Who is the main contact?
Gregory Huber
gregory.huber@yale.edu
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Prof Gregory Huber
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6804-8148
Contact details
Yale University
PO Box 208209
New Haven
06520
United States of America
+1 203-432-5731
gregory.huber@yale.edu
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
Nil known
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Nil known
Protocol/serial number
1312013102
Study information
Scientific title
Encouraging behavior to reduce the spread of COVID-19: experimental analysis
Acronym
Study hypothesis
1. The IOCLP message increases intentions to social distance compared to the untreated control
2. The IOCLP message increases intentions to social distance compared to the baseline control
3. The not bravery message increases intentions to social distance compared to the untreated control
4. The not bravery message increases intentions to social distance compared to the baseline control
Secondary hypotheses:
1. The IOCLP message increases intentions to vote by mail compared to the untreated control
2. The IOCLP message increases intentions to vote by mail compared to the baseline control
3. The not bravery message increases intentions to vote by mail compared to the untreated control
4. The not bravery message increases intentions to vote by mail compared to the baseline control
5. The IOCLP message increases intentions to receive a vaccine compared to the untreated control
6. The IOCLP message increases intentions to receive a vaccine compared to the baseline control
7. The not bravery message increases intentions to receive a vaccine compared to the untreated control
8.. The not bravery message increases intentions to receive a vaccine compared to the baseline control
9. We also hypothesize that when looking at those who have high liberty, the not bravery message will increase intentions to social distance compared to the baseline control
Ethics approval
No ethics approval required, Yale University Human Research Protection Program (25 Science Park, 150 Munson Street, 3rd Floor, New Haven, CT 06511; no telephone number provided; HRPP@yale.edu), ref: 1312013102
Study design
Interventional randomized controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Internet
Trial type
Prevention
Patient information sheet
No participant information sheet available
Condition
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 infection)
Intervention
Subjects will be assigned at equal rates to one of four conditions: A pure control condition, a baseline COVID-19 risk reduction message, and two additional treatment messages that were the two most successful treatment messages in the first study of 10 different treatment messages. The two most successful messages from the first study added language to the baseline COVID-19 risk reduction content.
The first is the Impact Others, Cooperative Linear Production (IOCLP) message. This message describes how social distancing protects other people from COVID-19 and that everyone needs to take this action to stop the spread.
The second is the Not Bravery message. This message describes the brave actions of individuals like doctors and firefighters during the COVID-19 pandemic. It then invokes the idea that people who do not practice social distancing are not brave like those individuals and are instead reckless and putting the health of others at risk.
Participants will spend at minimum 30 seconds on the survey page that shows them the messages to give them ample time to read it. After reading the message, subjects complete questionnaires measuring (1) intended social distancing behaviors, (2) food-related behaviors, (3) evaluations of others based on their social distancing behavior, (4) beliefs about the efficacy and importance of social distancing, (5) mask-wearing, (6) interest in receiving a future COVID-19 vaccine, and (7) different ways of voting in the November 2020 election. The study then concludes with a short debrief that highlights the importance of social distancing and provides participants with a link to learn more.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Social distancing behaviors measured using 5 scales at a single timepoint:
1. Social distancing behaviors scale, composed of the average of 16 items
2. Food-related behaviors scale, composed of the average of 3 items
3. Evaluations and actions toward others based on their social distancing behavior scale, composed of the average of 7 items
4. Beliefs about the efficacy and importance of social distancing scale, composed of the average of 3 items
5. Mask wearing scale, composed of the average of 7 items
Secondary outcome measures
Measured using online questionnaire at a single time point:
1. Interest in voting by mail and willingness to vote in person if unable to vote absentee/by mail
2. Willingness to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine when and if it becomes available
3. Demographic measures: liberty endorsement (low/high); partisanship (democrat or republican); gender (self-identified gender male or female); employment status: (can work from home/cannot work from home/not working)
Overall trial start date
01/05/2020
Overall trial end date
24/07/2020
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
18 years of age or older and residing in the US
Participant type
All
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
3,000
Participant exclusion criteria
Does not meet inclusion criteria
Recruitment start date
17/07/2020
Recruitment end date
24/07/2020
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United States of America
Trial participating centre
Yale University
PO Box 208236
New Haven
06520
United States of America
Sponsor information
Organisation
Yale University
Sponsor details
Institution for Social and Policy Studies
Yale University
77 Prospect Street
PO Box 208236
New Haven
06520-8209
United States of America
+1 (203) 432-5232
alan.gerber@yale.edu
Sponsor type
University/education
Website
Funders
Funder type
Other
Funder name
Investigator initiated and funded
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Planned publication in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal.
IPD sharing statement:
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be stored in a publically available repository. The underlying anonymous study microdata, documentation of the survey, and statistical analysis code will be posted on the replication archive required by the journal in which the resulting paper is published, with public access, or at the Harvard Dataverse if the journal does not require a specific archive to be used. The material will be publicly available for anyone to download. Consent was obtained for data sharing.
Additional documents available at: https://osf.io/vpafh/?view_only=5b9b78b1162d4fa091b8f569199e664f
Intention to publish date
17/07/2021
Participant level data
Available on request
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list