The Role of Social Norms and Collaborative Strategies in Supporting the Policies Implemented and Complying with the Measures Taken in the Context of Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic

The aim of the studies carried out within the scope of the project is to determine the social psychological factors that will increase this cooperation and compliance with the measures within the scope of combating the coronavirus; therefore, to contribute socially and psychologically to the social policies that will be formed for the dissemination of behaviors for the wholesale benefit of all humanity, both during the COVID-19 epidemic and other epidemics and disasters that may occur in the future. Within the scope of the project, two different but complementary studies were conducted, one survey study and the other quasi-experimental. Analysis of the survey data showed that support for pro-social behaviors such as complying with hygiene and distance rules, helping the needy, and anti-epidemic policies such as curfews was predicted by risk perception, levels of national and global identification, and descriptive and moral imperative norms. According to the experimental study, which examined the effect of descriptive norms (how common a behavior is in the society) and imperative norms (beliefs about what is approved and disapproved in the society) and the leader's identity entrepreneurship on compliance with health behaviors including physical and social measures, adherence to precautions, descriptive and is highest when imperative norms are presented in a positive way. In addition, when people see that others follow the rules, they follow the rules and norms at a high rate even if they do not believe that these rules are necessary. Again, if people comply with the measures, and the leader also provides the vision (identity entrepreneur) in the fight against the epidemic, they comply more with the measures. The research findings are especially about the role of the way the news is presented in the media in shaping social behaviors; about which form of norm might be more effective when social norms conflict with each other; it also provided important clues about effective leadership styles in social issues. With these findings, 1) the need for local and central authorities, who convey the message of complying with the rules of combating the epidemic, to emphasize that we will cover all sections of society; 2) again the need for the authorities to provide an understanding to the target audience that if the rules are followed, the epidemic will be overcome in the future (identity entrepreneurship); 3) It has emerged that the news about the epidemic should be conveyed in a positive frame, not negative, both in the mainstream media and in the social media.