Cognitive reasoning, risk targets and behavioral responses to COVID-19 outbreaks among Wuhan residents during lockdown

ABSTRACT

How did residents in Wuhan, who were at the epicenter of the initial COVID-19 outbreaks in China evaluate the risk to themselves and to society at large, and take action accordingly? This study examines the need for orientation, cognitive reasoning of COVID-19 news, and perceived risk, which all contributed to protective action during the city’s total lockdown. Using data collected in a mobile CATI survey during the peak of the outbreaks in February 2020, findings show that the attention to COVID-19 in digital media predicted the perception of the coronavirus pandemic as a personal risk. In addition, the need for orientation and elaboration of news about the outbreaks were positively associated with perceived risk target – personal and societal. Finally, perceived personal risk proved a stronger predictor than perceived risk to society in general for taking protective behavior.

KEYWORDS:

• Risk perception
• risk target
• cognitive reasoning
• city lockdown
• protection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project [grant number 2020M682384]; China’s National Program for Support of Top-Notch Young Professionals; The co-construction project of the propaganda department of Hubei provincial party committee and Huazhong University of Science and Technology on the School of Journalism [grant number 2020E04].

Notes on contributors

Zongya Li

Zongya Li (Ph.D. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2019) is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Her research interests include health communication, environmental communication, and media effects.

Ran Wei

Ran Wei (Ph.D. Indiana University, 1995) is professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. His research interests and publications include media effects, communication technology and mobile communication.

Ven-hwei Lo

Ven-hwei Lo (Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1985) is a visiting professor in the Department of Journalism, School of Communication, at Hong Kong Baptist University. His research interests include news media performance and media effects.

Mingxin Zhang

Mingxin Zhang (Ph.D., Wuhan University, 2009) is a Professor in the School of Journalism and Information Communication at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. His research focuses on new media studies, political communication, and national strategic communication.

Yicheng Zhu

Yicheng Zhu (Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 2018) is a lecturer at School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University. His research focuses on new media communications.