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Social Environment and Attitudes toward COVID-19 Anti-Contagious Measures: An Explorative Study from Italy

Author

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  • Alessandro Gennaro

    (Department of Dynamic Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Matteo Reho

    (Department of Dynamic Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Tiziana Marinaci

    (Department of Human and Social Sciences, Salento University, 73100 Lecce, Italy)

  • Barbara Cordella

    (Department of Dynamic Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Marco Castiglioni

    (Department of Human Sciences “R. Massa”, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

  • Cristina Liviana Caldiroli

    (Department of Human Sciences “R. Massa”, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy)

  • Claudia Venuleo

    (Department of Human and Social Sciences, Salento University, 73100 Lecce, Italy)

Abstract

Social and cultural aspects (i.e., political decision making, discourses in the public sphere, and people’s mindsets) played a crucial role in the ways people responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Framed with the Semiotic-Cultural Psychological Theory (SCPT), the present work aims to explore how individual ways of making sense of their social environment affected individuals’ perception of government measures aimed at managing the pandemic and the adherence to such measures. An online survey was administered from January to April 2021 to the Italian population. Retrieved questionnaires (N = 378) were analyzed through a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to detect the factorial dimensions underpinning (dis)similarities in the respondents’ ways of interpreting their social environment. Extracted factors were interpreted as markers of Latent Dimensions of Sense (LDSs) organizing respondents’ worldviews. Finally, three regression models tested the role of LDSs in supporting the individual satisfaction with the measures adopted to contain the social contagion defined at national level, individual adherence to the containment measures and the perception of the population’s adherence to them. Results highlight that all the three measures are associated with a negative view of the social environment characterized by a lack of confidence in public institutions (health system, government), public roles and other people. Findings are discussed on the one hand to shed light on the role of deep-rooted cultural views in defining personal evaluations of government measures and adherence capacity. On the other hand, we suggest that taking into account people’s meaning-making can guide public health officials and policy makers to comprehend what favors or hinders adaptive responses to emergencies or social crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Gennaro & Matteo Reho & Tiziana Marinaci & Barbara Cordella & Marco Castiglioni & Cristina Liviana Caldiroli & Claudia Venuleo, 2023. "Social Environment and Attitudes toward COVID-19 Anti-Contagious Measures: An Explorative Study from Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3621-:d:1072599
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    1. Marco Castiglioni & Cristina Liviana Caldiroli & Attà Negri & Gian Mauro Manzoni & Rossella Procaccia, 2023. "Linguistic Predictors of Psychological Adjustment in Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Marco Castiglioni & Cristina Liviana Caldiroli & Rossella Procaccia & Federica Conte & Robert A. Neimeyer & Claudia Zamin & Anna Paladino & Attà Negri, 2023. "The Up-Side of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Core Belief Violation and Meaning Making Associated with Post-Traumatic Growth?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-16, May.

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