Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response

AUTHORS Jay Van BavelPaulo BoggioValerio CapraroAleksandra CichockaMina CikaraMolly CrockettAlia CrumKaren DouglasJames DruckmanJohn DruryNaomi EllemersEli J. FinkelMIchele GelfandShihui HanS. HaslamJolanda JettenShinobu Kitayamadean mobbsLucy NapperDominic PackerGordon PennycookEllen PetersRichard PettyDavid RandStephen D. ReicherSimone SchnallAzim ShariffLinda SkitkaCass SunsteinNassim TabriJoshua TuckerSander van der LindenMichael Wohljamil zakiSean ZionRobb Willer

CREATED ON March 24, 2020 LAST EDITED March 24, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive, global health crisis. Because the crisis

requires large-scale behavior change and poses significant psychological burdens on

individuals, insights from the social and behavioural sciences are critical for optimizing

pandemic response. Here we review relevant research from a diversity of research

areas relevant to different dimensions of pandemic response. We review foundational

work on navigating threats, social and cultural factors, science communication, moral

decision-making, leadership, and stress and coping that is relevant to pandemics. In

each section, we outline implications for solving public health issues related to COVID-

19. This interdisciplinary review points to several ways in which research can be

immediately applied to optimize response to this pandemic, but also points to several

important gaps that researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and

months.

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