Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 09, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A13 SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2020 ? WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM A 13NEWS I COVID-19 PANDEMIC T ORONTO - Peer pressure and public messaging will influence Canadians' ability and willing- ness to maintain safe behaviour as re- strictions relating to COVID-19 begin to loosen, some experts say as they warn that fines and snitch lines may not be effective as long-term solutions. The pandemic that has caused thou- sands of deaths across the country has also forced people from all walks of life to radically alter their behaviour in a matter of weeks. Those new habits will be tweaked and tested in the coming months as busi- nesses and public spaces gradually re- open, with officials stressing the need to keep up precautions such as physical distancing. People will return to a world that has been irrevocably transformed, which will make it easier to resist reverting to pre-pandemic behaviour, said Steve Joordens, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto. Peers in particular can reinforce or undermine new habits, because humans have a strong desire to fit in, he said. If a good proportion of people continues to respect safety guidelines, "it'll be very easy for others to do be- cause they'll see that modelled all around them," he said. "If a significant number of people start violating all these rules - and es- pecially the people we're sort of closest to - then that will make it difficult for us to continue to follow." Punishing scofflaws, meanwhile, may deter rule-breaking in the short term but is unlikely to foster co-oper- ation over time, the psychologist said - especially if residents are asked to tattle on each other. "Punishment is the easy go-to: it's quick, it's easy, and it feels like you've done something. But it breeds a whole lot of distress and resentment," he said. The New Brunswick government recently stirred controversy when it launched a COVID-19 information line where residents could report any non- compliance. In Toronto, where guidelines shifted this week from asking residents to stay home to urging them to keep their dis- tance when outside, the city website also allows residents to report breaches of pandemic rules. Fear - whether of fines or of the virus itself - may have spurred people to change at the beginning of the crisis, but its motivational power wanes over time as people learn to cope, said Fred- erick Grouzet, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Vic- toria. Similarly, an overly controlling ap- proach can trigger rebellion in the long run, because people don't appre- ciate feeling like they are being treat- ed like children by their government, he said. He pointed to a spate of pro- tests against pandemic measures that have cropped up in parts of Canada and the United States as restrictions persist. As the rules grow less strict, a better strategy for governments would be to emphasize the trust placed in residents to do the right thing, and to invoke the need for a collective effort, Grouzet said. "Acknowledging the difficulty, ex- plaining the rationale, providing more information and supporting their auton- omy... is always the most effective ap- proach, especially in the long term," he said. A recent study by American re- searchers examined whether stress- ing the personal or collective risks - "Don't get the virus" or "Don't spread it to others" - worked better to change how people intended to act. Lead author Jillian Jordan, a postdoc- toral fellow at Northwestern Univer- sity's Dispute Resolution Research Cen- ter, said the initial online survey found that messaging focused on community effect of the virus was more effective in swaying participants. That indicates people are either not as strictly self-interested as some might expect, or they worry that appearing to act selfishly could harm their reputa- tion, said Jordan, who is set to discuss the findings in a virtual panel hosted by the University of British Columbia next week. However, a second round conducted later in the pandemic, which will be the subject of an upcoming paper, found both strategies equally effective, which suggests people's response to public health messaging may change over time, she said. "Thinking about how to make sure we stay updated in terms of what is ef- fective seems important," said Jordan. "There might be different approaches we need to encourage people to stay vigilant over time." No matter what messages they re- ceive from authorities, people will face one major temptation when it comes to maintaining their newly established safety habits, said Joordens, the Uni- versity of Toronto professor. "Most of it will be surprisingly easy, (but) the caveat is the desire for hu- mans to have contact, to have at least emotional contact," he said. It's easy to plan video chats and phone calls when we're stuck at home, but once people see their loved ones again, the urge to get closer than two metres will be hard to overcome, he said. "It's almost more than a habit - that's almost more of an instinct, our need for connecting with other humans." - The Canadian Press Experts advise against punitive measures as restrictions loosen Fines, tattle lines easy but spark trouble PAOLA LORIGGIO FRANK GUNN / THE CANADIAN PRESS Four women enjoy the afternoon sun in Toronto. As warmer weather returns, physical distancing in public will become difficult. 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