National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Understanding collective behaviour is an important aspect of managing the pandemic response. Here the authors show in a large global study that participants that reported identifying more strongly with their nation reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies in the context of the pandemic. Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = -0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.
Funding Agencies|John Templeton Foundation (JTF) [61378]; Narodowe Centrum Nauki (National Science Centre) [2018/29/B/HS6/02826, 2015/19/B/HS6/01253]; RCUK | Medical Research Council (MRC)UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)Medical Research Council UK (MRC) [MR/P014097/1]; Economic Social Research Council Impact Acceleration Award; University of Oxford; Gouvernement du Canada | Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada) [130760, SSHRC-506547., 435-2012-1135]; Agentura na Podporu Vyskumu a Vyvoja (Slovak Research and Development Agency) [APVV-17-0596]; Academy of Finland (Suomen Akatemia)Academy of Finland; Austrian Science Fund (Fonds zur Forderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung)Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [I3381]; Universitat Wien (University of Vienna); Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan); Aarhus Universitets Forskningsfond (Aarhus University Research Foundation) [AUFF-E-201 9-9-4, 28207]; Vetenskapsradet (Swedish Research Council)Swedish Research Council [2018-00877]; Carlsbergfondet (Carlsberg Foundation)Carlsberg Foundation [CF20-0044]; Ministarstvo Prosvete, Nauke i Tehnolokog Razvoja (Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia) [47010]; NOMIS Stiftung (NOMIS Foundation); National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [71972065, 71602163]; RCUK|Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) [BB/R010668/1]; Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency)French National Research Agency (ANR) [ANR-17-EURE-0010, ANR-10-IDEX-0001-02 PSL, ANR-17-EURE-0017]; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)German Research Foundation (DFG) [EXC 2052/1 - 390713894]; Gouvern