Face masks have been widely employed as a personal protective measure during the
COVID-19 pandemic. However, concerns remain that masks create a false sense of security …

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing behavior turned out to be key to
mitigating the virus spread. Therefore, it is crucial that we understand how we can …

Effective communication is essential for delivering public health messages and enabling
behaviour change. Little is known about possible backfiring, or spillover effects, of COVID-19 …

Interacting with objects and people requires specifying localized spaces where these
interactions can take place. Previous studies suggest that the space for interacting with …

Decades of field experiments show that White Americans are more likely to discriminate
against Black Americans when the situation provides a nonracist rationalization for …

During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns were raised that face covering use may elicit risk
compensation; a false sense of security resulting in reduced adherence to other protective …

Aim To nuance the discussion on the suggested absence of the risk-compensation
phenomenon in times of COVID-19. Subject and methods In many countries, behavioral …

Vaccination has played a key role in reducing the health burden of COVID-19, however,
concern has been raised worldwide regarding risk compensation, a process whereby …

Background Wearing a face mask and keeping a minimal distance from others are common
nonpharmaceutical interventions that governments may mandate or recommend to contain …

Unrealistic Optimism (UO) appears when comparing participants' risk estimates for
themselves with an average peer, which typically results in lower risk estimates for the self …