Trust in government and its associations with health behaviour and prosocial behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Main Authors: Han, Qin, Zheng, Bang, Cristae, Mioara, Agostini, Maximilian, Belanger, Jocelyn J, Gutzkow, Ben, Kreienkamp, Jannis, Reitsema, Anne Margit, van Breen, Jolien A, Abakoumkin, Georgios, Abdul Khaiyom, Jamilah Hanum, Ahmedi, Vjollca, Akkas, Handan, Almenara, Carlos A, Kurapov, Anton, Atta, Mohsin, Bagci, Sabahat Cigdem, Basel, Sima, Kida, Edona Berisha, Buttrick, Nicholas R, Chobthamkit, Phatthanakit, Choi, Hoon-Seok, Csaba, Sara, Damnjanović, Kaja, Danyliuk, Ivan, Dash, Arobindu, Di Santo, Daniela, Douglas, Karen M, Enea, Violeta, Faller, Daiane, Fitzsimons, Gavan J, Gheorghiu, Alexandra, Gómez, Ángel, Helmy, Mai, Jeronimus, Bertus F, Jiang, Ding-Yu, Jovanović, Veljko, Kamenov, Zeljka, Kende, Anna, Keng, Shian-Ling, Tra, Thi Thanh Kieu, Koc, Yasin, Kovyazina, Kamila, Kozytska, Inna, Krause, Joshua, Kruglanski, Arie W, Kutlaca, Maja, Lantos, Nóra Anna, Lemay, Edward P, Lesmana, Cokorda Bagus J, Louis, Winnifred R, Lueders, Adrian, Iqbal Malik, Najma, Martinez, Anton P, McCabe, Kira O, Mehulić, Jasmina, Milla, Mirra Noor, Mohammed, Idris, Molinario, Erica, Moyano, Manuel, Muhammad, Hayat, Mula, Silvana, Muluk, Hamdi, Myroniuk, Solomiia, Najafi, Reza, Nisa, Claudia F, Nyúl, Boglárka, O’Keefe, Paul Anna, Jose, Javier Olivas Osuna, Osin, Evgeny N, Park, Joonha, Pica, Gennaro, Pierro, Antonio, Rees, Jonas H, Resta, Elena, Rullo, Marika, Ryan, Michelle K, Samekin, Adil, Santtila, Pekka, Sasin, Edyta, Schumpe, Birga M, Selim, Heyla A, Stanton, Michael Vicente, Stroebe, Wolfgang, Sultana, Samiah, Sutton, Robbie M, Tseliou, Eleftheria, Utsugi, Akira, van der Bles, Anne Marthe, Van Lissa, Caspar J, Van Veen, Kees, vanDellen, Michelle R, Vázquez, Alexandra, Wollast, Robin, Yeung, Victoria Wai-lan, Zand, Somayeh, Žeželj, Iris Lav, Zick, Andreas, Zúñiga, Claudia, Leander, N Pontus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science 2020
• Subjects: BF Psychology; HM Sociology; HM1001 Social psychology; HM1106 Interpersonal relations. Social behavior; JS Local government Municipal government
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/86155/1/1.%20PsyCorona%20Collaboration%20%282020%29.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/86155/; https://psyarxiv.com/p5gns/

Previous studies suggested that public trust in government is vital for implementations of social policies that rely on public's behavioural responses. This study examined associations of trust in government regarding COVID-19 control with recommended health behaviours and prosocial behaviours. Data from an international survey with representative samples (N=23,733) of 23 countries were analysed. Specification curve analysis showed that higher trust in government was significantly associated with higher adoption of health and prosocial behaviours in all reasonable specifications of multilevel linear models (median standardised β=0.173 and 0.244, P<0.001). We further used structural equation modelling to explore potential determinants of trust in government regarding pandemic control. Governments perceived as well organised, disseminating clear messages and knowledge on COVID-19, and perceived fairness were positively associated with trust in government (standardised β=0.358, 0.230, 0.055, and 0.250, P<0.01). These results highlighted the importance of trust in government in the control of COVID-19.