Amping up messaging on masks

Everyone in California is supposed to wear a mask these days — in stores, on sidewalks, when socializing with others.

But many don’t.

And that’s a problem. Lack of masks and social distancing are key reasons, experts say, that California is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases. Though data are sparse, about 64% of Californians reported using masks consistently in an Axios/Ipsos poll conducted June 1922, a week or two

after Gov. Gavin Newsom mandated maskwearing statewide.

What can be done to persuade the holdouts to change? It’s an issue that academics say needs urgent study. That’s because wearing a mask reduces the chance that an infected person may spread the disease to others. Researchers also believe wearing a mask protects the wearer to some extent, and recent studies suggest that the less virus someone is exposed to, the less likely they are to become infected or severely ill.

There is no onesizefitsall message, experts say. Instead, what appeals to an individual may depend on that person’s age, political perspective and even income level. Such factors often shape whether a person’s motivation is fear of catching the virus and dying, the risk they pose to others or their desire to be included and popular.

People resist wearing masks for many reasons. Some refuse because of their politics, believing it aligns them with President Trump’s refusal (until recently) to wear a face covering himself, according to Jon Krosnick, a social psychologist who directs the Political Psychology Research Group at Stanford. Others, especially young people, may feel a sense of invulnerability, he said.

“If I walk around without a mask, that’s my way of cementing my commitments to a group that I value and I want to be a part of and I want to promote,” Krosnick said. “You don’t have to carry a sign that says, ‘I love Trump,’ you just have to walk around without a mask, and that is your way to do it. That has psychic benefits for those individuals. That rein

forces an identity and social connection.”

For governments and companies working on the problem — including Redwood City adtech company Amobee and social networks such as Facebook and Instagram — social psychologists say that there are two main approaches to messaging. The first uses facts to persuade people to wear masks, and the second plays into what people perceive others are doing, in an effort to create social pressure. Without good messaging, mask requirements (such as California’s and those in many other states) may fail, said Clayton Critcher, an associate professor of marketing, cognitive science and

psychology at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Mask mandates can trigger “reactance,” which Critcher describes as the natural reactionary feeling people have when their freedoms are limited, akin to when a child refuses to wear the clothes chosen by parents.

To develop a campaign, “you need to emphasize individual risk” as one tactic, Krosnick said, adding that people must first be convinced that they could actually die or become severely ill from the virus. This argument applies especially to young people, who he says have likely internalized headlines that focus on the risk to older populations. For people who cannot be convinced to

be afraid or do not care about their personal risk, an effective campaign must “reframe the issue not about what people have to do themselves, but about how we can all keep each other safe,” Critcher said.

He also suggested drawing an analogy to other widely adopted requirements like wearing seat belts. Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, made a similar argument this month when he called for maskwearing enforcement.

Stories and examples tend to be more effective than just facts, Critcher said. Amobee, whose online international campaign has reached about 1.7 billion users since it first began, plans to emphasize personal stories in order to increase engagement in its next iteration of public service announcements, according to Ryanne Laredo, the company’s chief customer officer.

Using celebrities and other important public figures as an example can also work, although Krosnick says the message may not stick for a long period of time. In New York, the national Ad Council recently partnered with the state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, to start a national maskwearing campaign featuring celebrities like Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro.

California published a video in late June urging maskwearing and featuring Newsom and three former California governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. The state has also used spots in televisions, billboards and social media to urge residents to wear masks in accordance with the state mandate.

Some Bay Area tech companies have already stepped in to help with this messaging. Instagram and Facebook said they have begun to highlight maskwearing reminders on their services. Another emotion may come into play: the avoidance of regret.

“It’s quite possible that you will then experience this profound regret for having infected somebody,” Krosnick said, speaking about his own regrets about his wife, who became very ill with the coronavirus earlier in the pandemic. “By wearing a mask, you prevent yourself from kicking yourself later.”

“If I walk around without a mask, that’s my way of cementing my commitments to a group that I value and I want to be a part of.”

Jon Krosnick, a social psychologist who directs the Political Psycholog y Research Group at Stanford

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle A sign reminds passengers to wear face masks at the Powell Street BART Station in San Francisco. Without good messaging, experts say, mask requirements like California’s may fail.