According to prof. Wojciech Kulesza, a psychologist from the SWPS University, Poles are no longer afraid of the coronavirus, and therefore do not comply with the applicable restrictions. They believe that bad things endanger others, but not themselves. Where does this come from?
The problem why Poles are no longer afraid of the coronavirus and do not comply with the restrictions was investigated by scientists from the SWPS University.
Prof. Wojciech Kulesza gave several reasons why Polesare no longer afraid of the coronavirus :
- Our countrymen simply got used to the threat, they got used to the fear of it, because they had been dealing with it for many months. Similarly, people get into cars, even though they know how many people are killed in accidents each year. On the other hand, they are much more afraid of plane flights, because planes fall relatively rarely. This is called relactance mechanism.
- This may also be influenced by conspiracy theories circulating on the Internet, which claim that the epidemic is a figment
- The child's mechanism worked: if I close my eyes the problem will disappear
Why do so manybelieve in conspiracy theories and fakenews ? According to the professor, it is the rulers who have the greatest influence on this, treating society as a subject, not an object. They do not conduct a dialogue with him, but impose rules from above. This is why people are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories and look for answers to their questions. Additionally, they help people to reduce the anxiety that they most definitely have.
Why are we not following the current restrictions?
According to the professor, we are only offeredthreats(including tickets) - psychology shows that if the threats were to work, there would be no offenses. And they don't work. A much more effective method isto enter into dialogue with citizens . In this field, the Prime Minister of New Zealand has the greatest achievements, as she sat in front of the camera lens and explained everything to the citizens why he introduces given recommendations or restrictions and what they resulted from.
Our authority communicates only by ordinances, and does not involve citizens in dialogue.
The second problem islack of authority . If the rulers introduce the obligation to wear masks and do not follow it themselves, thenwhy would the citizens do this? Public figures, especially those in power,model certain social behavior . If they are crowding or refusing to wear a mask, why should the gray citizen not do the same?
What to do to ensure that Poles abide by the restrictions?
In order for Polish citizens to comply with the restrictions, the rulers should arouse in themwillingness to act for the common good . As Professor Kulesza emphasizes, social trust was very high at the beginning of the pandemic, but it decreased significantly over time.We are no longer a community- if we see that others are not wearing masks, we will not do it either.
Looking at social behavior, it can be said that it is unlikely that the coronavirus will be stopped.
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