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Mental Models of Illness during the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Mary Grace Harris

    (College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA)

  • Emma Wood

    (College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA)

  • Florencia K. Anggoro

    (College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and its profound global effects may be changing the way we think about illness. In summer 2020, 120 American adults were asked to diagnose symptoms of COVID-19, a cold, and cancer, and to answer questions related to the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, time-course, and transmission of each disease. Results showed that participants were more likely to correctly diagnose COVID-19 (91% accuracy) compared to a cold (58% accuracy) or cancer (52% accuracy). We also found that 7% of participants misdiagnosed cold symptoms as COVID-19, and, interestingly, over twice as many participants (16%) misdiagnosed symptoms of cancer as COVID-19. Our findings suggest a distinct mental model for COVID-19 compared to other illnesses. Further, the prevalence of COVID-19 in everyday discourse—especially early in the pandemic—may lead to biased responding, similar to errors in medical diagnosis that result from physicians’ expertise. We also discuss how the focus of public-health messaging on prevention of COVID-19 might contribute to participants’ mental models.

Suggested Citation

  • Mary Grace Harris & Emma Wood & Florencia K. Anggoro, 2022. "Mental Models of Illness during the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6894-:d:831761
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dyani Lewis, 2020. "Mounting evidence suggests coronavirus is airborne — but health advice has not caught up," Nature, Nature, vol. 583(7817), pages 510-513, July.
    2. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, 2021. "How conspiracists exploited COVID-19 science," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(11), pages 1464-1465, November.
    3. Jessecae K. Marsh & Nick D. Ungson & Dominic J. Packer, 2021. "Of Pandemics and Zombies: The Influence of Prior Concepts on COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-17, May.
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