Department of Developmental & Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome.
National Institute for the Evaluation of the Education System (INVALSI).
J Pediatr Psychol. 2021 Jan 20;46(1):15-26. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa122.
Physical distancing behavior (PDB) is a key disease prevention strategy for limiting the spread of COVID-19. In order to effectively encourage it among adolescents, it is necessary to understand the associated mental mechanisms. Health behavior theories suggest that emotions, personality, motivation, and moral disengagement could all play a role. On the basis of a longitudinal study, we investigated the importance of these factors in predicting PDB.
The participants were 347 adolescents residing in Italy. Data were collected in four waves starting from 1 year before the pandemic. A structural equation model based on health behavior theory was tested.
After the COVID-19 national lockdown, adolescents experienced fewer positive emotions and more negative emotions compared with 1 year earlier. Nevertheless, these emotional changes, and adolescents' personality (except for openness to experiences), were not related to the adoption of PDB. Instead, the autonomous motivation of adolescents significantly predicted a higher likelihood to adopt PDB by increasing the intention to engage in this behavior and, more indirectly, by substantially decreasing moral disengagement, which was negatively related to PDB. In contrast, controlled motivation corresponded to significantly higher levels of moral disengagement and predicted less likelihood of adopting PDB.
Messages and interventions targeted at adolescents should be oriented towards supporting autonomy, emphasizing the personal and social value of PDB. Communications should avoid the use of coercive strategies based on eliciting emotions such as shame and guilt in adolescents who do not adopt PDB, which appear to trigger off mechanisms of moral disengagement.
身体距离行为（PDB）是限制 COVID-19 传播的关键疾病预防策略。为了在青少年中有效地鼓励这种行为，有必要了解相关的心理机制。健康行为理论表明，情绪、个性、动机和道德脱离都可能起作用。在此基础上，我们进行了一项纵向研究，以探讨这些因素在预测 PDB 中的重要性。
参与者为意大利的 347 名青少年。数据在疫情前一年开始，分四个阶段收集。采用基于健康行为理论的结构方程模型进行检验。
与 1 年前相比，COVID-19 全国封锁后，青少年经历的积极情绪较少，消极情绪较多。然而，这些情绪变化，以及青少年的个性（开放性体验除外），与 PDB 的采用无关。相反，青少年的自主动机通过增加参与这种行为的意愿，更间接地通过显著降低与 PDB 呈负相关的道德脱离，显著预测了更高的采用 PDB 的可能性。相比之下，受控动机与更高水平的道德脱离相关，并预测了较少的采用 PDB 的可能性。
针对青少年的信息和干预措施应侧重于支持自主性，强调 PDB 的个人和社会价值。沟通应避免使用基于在不采用 PDB 的青少年中引发羞耻和内疚等情绪的强制性策略，这些策略似乎会引发道德脱离的机制。
