Psychological variables related to decision making for mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mask wearing can prevent and/or mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Psychological variables related to decision making can potentially influence mask wearing.

We surveyed college students (N = 1,085) about wearing a mask inside a store and outside on a busy street. Predictor variables were demographics, COVID-19 variables, and psychological variables of health risk taking, recreational risk taking, consideration of immediate consequences, and consideration of future consequences.

Health risk taking was negatively associated with mask wearing outside on a busy street but was not associated with mask wearing inside a store. Recreational risk taking was not associated with mask wearing either inside a store or outside on a busy street. Consideration of future consequences was significantly positively associated with mask wearing both inside a store and outside on a busy street. Consideration of immediate consequences was not associated with mask wearing either inside a store or outside on a busy street.

Marketing about store safety requirements of mask wearing may turn certain customers away from shopping inside the store. Their personality may not be of future consequences orientation and no matter how much one attempts to educate or reason with them, these customers will be opposed to mask wearing. Managers then need to decide whether to potentially lose a customer by requiring the customer to wear a mask to shop inside the store.