Cultural influence on COVID‐19 cognitions and growth speed: The role of collectivism

Abstract Major challenges faced by humans often require large‐scale cooperation for communal benefits. We examined what motivates such cooperation in the context of social distancing and mask wearing to reduce the transmission intensity of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID‐19). We hypothesized that collectivism, a cultural variable characterizing the extent that individuals see themselves in relation to others, contributes to people's willingness to engage in these behaviors. Consistent with preregistered predictions, across three studies ( n = 2864), including a U.S. nationally representative sample, collectivist orientation was positively associated with intentions, positive beliefs, norm perceptions, and policy support for the preventive behaviors. Further, at a country level, more collectivist countries showed lower growth rates in both COVID‐19 confirmed cases and deaths. Together, these studies demonstrate the role of collectivism in reducing COVID‐19 transmission, and highlight the value of considering culture in public health policies and communications.