Predictors of the intention to maintain social distancing

Abstract

This research aimed to develop an Intention to Maintain Social Distancing Scale (IMSDS) based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The model establishes that the variables attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are predictors of the intention to maintain social distancing (IMSD). The methodological design was an online survey with non-probabilistic sampling. The survey included 786 Brazilian participants, mostly residents of the southern region of the country. The TBP variables explained 85% of the IMSD variation: subjective norms (β = 0.69), attitudes (β = 0.24) and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.06). These results provide evidence of what are the underlying beliefs that influence the IMSD. This evidence is relevant to public and private organizations in the process of developing strategies to promote and engage the population in adopting the behavior of “maintaining social distancing” in Brazil. In the discussions, the practical implications are presented, pointing out the limitations of the research and the possibilities for future studies on IMSD.

Keywords:
COVID-19; intention to maintain social distancing; social distancing