COVID-19 is perceived as a significant danger among the British public due to the imposed lockdowns, according to a recent analysis.
The COVID-19 Security Threat and Public Support Study, led by Cardiff University, has shed light on the intricacies of public opinion regarding lockdown measures during the pandemic. The research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science with the DOI 10.1098/rsos.210678, was carried out by a team of psychologists from Cardiff, Bath, and Essex universities.
The study found that while people generally supported lockdown measures, many considered the side effects, such as detriment to mental health and reduced access to treatment for non-COVID health problems, to be "unacceptable" in a cost-benefit analysis. This suggests that the UK public may have been more conflicted about lockdowns than the headline polls suggest.
Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, an environmental psychologist from the University of Bath, proposes that this finding may have implications for how governments approach and communicate about various risks, including climate change. She suggests that bold actions against climate change, such as stopping all road building (as done recently in Wales) or blocking airport expansions, may increase the public's belief in its severity.
The study also emphasises the importance of asking the right questions in polling to avoid a limited and potentially misleading picture of public opinions. Dr Paul Hanel, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Essex, underscores this point, stating that the findings indicate that asking the right questions in polling is crucial to understanding the diversity and complexity of public opinions.
The research further highlights that people judge the severity of the COVID-19 threat based on the fact that the government imposed a lockdown. However, the study found that most people's personal sense of threat does not relate to their support for restrictions. Instead, people judged the threat at a much more general level, such as towards the country as a whole. This finding suggests that any messaging that targets people's personal sense of threat is unlikely to actually raise support for any further restrictions.
The team conducted two UK surveys, six months apart, during 2020. The study also warns of a potential symbiotic relationship between public opinion and government policy, which could influence future policies. The researchers call for more nuanced use of polling data during the pandemic to provide a more accurate representation of public opinion's diversity and complexity.
In conclusion, the COVID-19 Security Threat and Public Support Study provides valuable insights into the complexities of public opinion on lockdown measures during the pandemic. These findings may have significant implications for how governments approach and communicate about various risks, including climate change, in the future.
Read also:
- Abu Dhabi initiative for comprehensive genetic screening, aiming to diagnose over 800 conditions and enhance the health of future generations in the UAE.
- Elderly shingles: Recognizing symptoms, potential problems, and available treatments
- Protecting Your Auditory Health: 6 Strategies to Minimize Noise Damage
- Exploring the Reasons, Purposes, and Enigmas of Hiccups: Delving into Their Origins, Roles, and Unsolved Aspects
