SHARED HUMAN VALUES AMIDST THE PANDEMIC
Rolando A. Sacatani JR
The COVID-19 pandemic presents humanity with an extraordinary challenge. The rapid spread of the virus and the necessity of waiting for effective treatments or vaccines highlight the importance of changing human behavior to contain the pandemic. Accordingly, governments across the world have introduced measures that severely impact individuals' personal and social lives, including closing institutions and urging people to stay at home, stay away from public places and social gatherings, and work remotely where feasible. Individuals are also strongly advised to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly, avoid touching objects that others may have touched and keep a 2-meter distance from others
Given that the behavior of the general public is key to curbing the pandemic at this stage, it is important for social psychological researchers to use their knowledge to promote behaviors that help manage the crisis. Here, we argue that two types of behaviors are of particular significance. First, it is crucial to understand and increase compliance with the guidelines. Many individuals may comply out of a concern for their personal health, but compliance often requires individuals to make sacrifices for the sake of the greater societal good like engaging in self-isolation in order to protect others. The barrier to engaging in such self-sacrificial behavior is increased further by evidence that individuals underestimate the likelihood that they personally will be infected with COVID-19 (Kuper-Smith, 2020). Furthermore, the purpose of the advised self-sacrificial behavior, such as protecting the vulnerable and reducing demand on health services, is quite abstract in nature, and the COVID-19 crisis is likely to require compliance that is sustained over a long period of time. These factors represent additional barriers to achieving the goal of ensuring high levels of sustained compliance.
Second, it is important to help others who are struggling to cope with the crisis. Such prosocial behaviors include doing voluntary work for health services, grocery shopping for vulnerable people, donating to food shelters, and offering support to those who feel overwhelmed. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens people's sense of well-being in multiple ways. In addition to the physical threats of possible infection, postponement of non-urgent (but important) medical treatment, and lack of access to food and other essentials, there are psychological threats posed by (potential) loss of employment, loneliness stemming from isolation, worries about the health of loved ones, and coping with bereavement. Moreover, people who are already struggling with harsh living conditions like the individuals in refugee camps may be among the worst hit. It is therefore crucial for social psychological research to identify ways to better understand and promote prosocial behavior to alleviate the strains arising from a prolonged pandemic.
We believe that human values represent a psychological set of factors that is particularly important in driving both behavioral compliance and prosocial behavior. The pandemic times can bring into the surface how behavior may be influenced by the direct effects of personal values and by perceptions of value similarity or dissimilarity in society.
The author is Teacher
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III at Dapdap High School, Bamban, Tarlac