The behavioral immune system and use of transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2022.101406Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Associations of disease avoidance tendencies and use of six transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic were tested.

  • A national sample of U.S. adults (N = 947) completed an online survey from July 20 to 27, 2020.

  • Participants reported low likelihood of using transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Greater germ aversion was associated with lower transportation use for all measured transportation services.

  • Effects sizes of the associations between germ aversion and transportation use were small to moderate.

Abstract

Introduction

A primary means of reducing the spread of COVID-19 is avoidance of close contact with other people, particularly in closed areas. Transportation services generally require being in closed spaces with other people, which has resulted in a significant reduction in use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding individual differences associated with likelihood of using transportation services may help in targeting individuals that are hesitant to use these services. Specifically, psychological processes that encourage disease avoidance (e.g., disgust sensitivity, germ aversion) may play a key role in people's hesitancy to use transportation services. The aim of this study was to identify demographic groups that were hesitant to use transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the extent to which individual differences in disease avoidance processes are associated with the likelihood of using transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

A national sample of U.S. adults (N = 947) completed an online survey about the likelihood of using transportation services (i.e., public transportation, rental car, ride share, intercity trains, intercity buses, and commercial flight), germ aversion, disgust sensitivity, demographics, and control variables (e.g., COVID-19 concern).

Results

Regression analyses indicated that greater germ aversion was associated with lower likelihood of transportation use for all measured transportation services, controlling for disgust sensitivity, demographics, and control variables. Older age and higher COVID-19 concern were associated with lower likelihood of using most of the transportation services, while town size was associated with greater likelihood of using public transportation and ride share.

Discussion

Overall, germ aversion was consistently uniquely associated with lower likelihood of transportation service use. In the process of getting back to normal after the COVID-19 threat is reduced, structuring messages that target hesitant populations and use malleable psychological mechanisms like disease avoidance may aid in encouraging behavior change and increase transportation service use.

Keywords

Pandemic
COVID-19
Public transportation
Commercial transportation
Behavioral immune system

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