Creating compliance in crisis: messages, messengers, and masking up in Britain

Figures & data

Figure 1. Trends in reported mask wearing.

Note: Percentage of people saying they wear masks in public spaces. Data collected by YouGov. See Online appendix B for further details.

Figure 2. Mask wearing and government approval in the UK.

Table 1. Experimental vignettes.

Public health message: Collective risk	Public health message: Individual risk
To protect others from coronavirus, public health experts have urged citizens to wear a face covering in public settings, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.	To protect yourself from coronavirus, public health experts have urged citizens to wear a face covering in public settings, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Public health experts stress that the virus is highly contagious and that you can be a carrier and infect others even when you do not have any symptoms. People infected by the virus are at significant risk of severe disease from COVID-19, with many requiring intensive care. Over 40,000 people with coronavirus have died in the UK.	Public health experts stress that the virus is highly contagious and can affect people of all age groups. If you become infected by the virus, you will be at significant risk of severe disease from COVID-19 and may require intensive care. Over 40,000 people with coronavirus have died in the UK.
Scientific evidence indicates that face masks may help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to those most vulnerable in our communities.	Scientific evidence indicates that the use of face masks may help reduce the risk of infection for the people wearing them.
Government minister message: Collective risk	Government minister message: Individual risk
To protect others from coronavirus, Conservative government ministers have urged citizens to wear a face covering in public settings, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.	To protect yourself from coronavirus, Conservative government ministers have urged citizens to wear a face covering in public settings, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Ministers stress that the virus is highly contagious and that you can be a carrier and infect others even when you do not have any symptoms. People infected by the virus are at significant risk of severe disease from COVID-19, with many requiring intensive care. Over 40,000 people with coronavirus have died in the UK.	Ministers stress that the virus is highly contagious and can affect people of all age groups. If you become infected by the virus, you will be at significant risk of severe disease from COVID-19 and may require intensive care. Over 40,000 people with coronavirus have died in the UK.
The government says that face masks may help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to those most vulnerable in our communities.	The government says that the use of face masks may help reduce the risk of infection for the people wearing them.

Figure 3. Willingness to wear a mask (%) (In general, how willing or not are you to wear a face mask or covering in public settings?).

Figure 4. Willingness to wear masks across experimental conditions (Very willing to wear a mask).

Table 2. Effects of experimental treatments on willingness to wear a mask.

	Model 1		Model 2
	Coef	SE	Coef	SE
Treatment groups:
Conservative ministers & collective risk	0.27	(0.12)**	0.28	(0.12)**
Public health experts & collective risk	0.17	(0.11)	0.20	(0.11)*
Conservative ministers & individual risk	0.23	(0.12)**	0.25	(0.12)**
Public health experts & individual risk	0.26	(0.12)**	0.27	(0.12)**
Age			0.01	(0.00)**
Gender (female)			0.29	(0.08)**
Education (age at leaving)			−0.04	(0.03)
Social class ABC1			0.06	(0.08)
Subjective Covid-19 risk			0.67	(0.06)**
Conservative voter			−0.23	(0.09)**
Leave voter			−0.29	(0.09)**
Cut 1	−3.21	(0.12)	−1.1	(0.25)
Cut 2	−2.46	(0.10)	−0.32	(0.24)
Cut 3	−1.75	(0.09)	0.4	(0.23)
Cut 4	−0.58	(0.08)	1.64	(0.24)
N	3276		3276

Note: Ordered logistic regression model. **p-value < 0.05, two tailed. *p-value < 0.05, one tailed test of significance.

Figure 5. Willingness to wear masks, by 2019 vote choice.

In general, how willing or not are you to wear a face mask or covering in public settings? (5= very willing/1 = very unwilling).

Table 3. Heterogeneous treatment effects: government support.

	Model 3
	Coef	SE
Treatment groups:
Government minister	0.11	(0.12)
Public health expert	0.23	(0.10)**
Government voter	−0.38	(0.11)**
Government minister treatment x Government voter	0.40	(0.16)**
Age	0.01	(0.00)**
Gender (female)	0.29	(0.08)**
Education (age at leaving)	−0.04	(0.03)
Social class ABC1	0.08	(0.08)
Subjective COVID risk	0.67	(0.06)**
Leave voter	−0.43	(0.09)**
Cut 1	−1.12	(0.25)
Cut 2	−0.40	(0,24)
Cut 3	0.34	(0.24)
Cut 4	1.58	(0.24)
N	3276

Note: Ordered logistic regression model. **p-value < 0.05.

Figure 6. Conservative voters’ willingness to wear mask, by minister treatment.