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Social Distance during the COVID-19 Pandemic Reflects Perceived Rather Than Actual Risk

Author

Listed:
  • Tina Iachini

    (Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy)

  • Francesca Frassinetti

    (Department of Psychology, Università di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
    Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri-IRCCS di Castel Goffredo, Castel Goffredo, 46042 Mantova, Italy)

  • Francesco Ruotolo

    (Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy)

  • Filomena Leonela Sbordone

    (Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy)

  • Antonella Ferrara

    (Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy)

  • Maria Arioli

    (Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy)

  • Francesca Pazzaglia

    (Department of General Psychology, Università degli Studi di Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy)

  • Andrea Bosco

    (Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy)

  • Michela Candini

    (Department of Psychology, Università di Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy)

  • Antonella Lopez

    (Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy)

  • Alessandro Oronzo Caffò

    (Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy)

  • Zaira Cattaneo

    (Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
    IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

  • Ferdinando Fornara

    (Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Università di Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy)

  • Gennaro Ruggiero

    (Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, Italy)

Abstract

Interpersonal space (IPS) is the area surrounding our own bodies in which we interact comfortably with other individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping larger IPS than usual, along with wearing a face mask, is one of the most effective measures to slow down the COVID-19 outbreak. Here, we explore the contribution of actual and perceived risk of contagion and anxiety levels in regulating our preferred social distance from other people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. In this study, 1293 individuals from six Italian regions with different levels of actual risk of infection participated in an online survey assessing their perceived risk to be infected, level of anxiety and IPS. Two tasks were adopted as measures of interpersonal distance: the Interpersonal Visual Analogue Scale and a questionnaire evaluating interpersonal distance with and without face mask. The results showed that the IPS regulation was affected by how people subjectively perceived COVID-19 risk and the related level of anxiety, not by actual objective risk. This clarifies that the role of threat in prompting avoidant behaviors expressed in increased IPS does not merely reflect environmental events but rather how they are subjectively experienced and represented.

Suggested Citation

  • Tina Iachini & Francesca Frassinetti & Francesco Ruotolo & Filomena Leonela Sbordone & Antonella Ferrara & Maria Arioli & Francesca Pazzaglia & Andrea Bosco & Michela Candini & Antonella Lopez & Aless, 2021. "Social Distance during the COVID-19 Pandemic Reflects Perceived Rather Than Actual Risk," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:11:p:5504-:d:558973
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lennart Sjöberg, 2000. "Factors in Risk Perception," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Alexa Spence & Wouter Poortinga & Nick Pidgeon, 2012. "The Psychological Distance of Climate Change," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(6), pages 957-972, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francesco Ruotolo & Gennaro Ruggiero & Zaira Cattaneo & Maria Arioli & Michela Candini & Francesca Frassinetti & Francesca Pazzaglia & Ferdinando Fornara & Andrea Bosco & Tina Iachini, 2023. "Psychological Reactions during and after a Lockdown: Self-Efficacy as a Protective Factor of Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(17), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Laura Colautti & Alice Cancer & Sara Magenes & Alessandro Antonietti & Paola Iannello, 2022. "Risk-Perception Change Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine’s Side Effects: The Role of Individual Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Akhtar, Naeem & Ittefaq, Huma & Siddiqi, Umar Iqbal & Islam, Tahir & Hameed, Zahid & Kuzior, Aleksandra, 2024. "Zero-COVID and retail: Using multi-wave data to examine the role of perceived risk and psychological factors in shopping abandonment," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).

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