WASHINGTON — A new rapid expert consultation from the Societal Experts Action Network identifies promising strategies to make the adoption of protective behaviors against COVID-19, such as wearing a mask or regularly washing your hands, more likely.

The new guidance, intended for decision-makers at the federal, state, and local levels, draws on research from communications, social psychology, and behavioral economics as well as lessons learned from successful public health campaigns, such as tobacco prevention and seatbelt use.

Making a behavior easy to start and rewarding to repeat, tying behaviors to existing habits, providing alternatives to unwanted behaviors, and providing specific descriptions of desired behaviors are strategies that decision-makers can employ to make it more likely that protective behaviors will become habitual, according to the rapid expert consultation. The document also identifies 10 communication strategies to encourage adoption of new behaviors.

The Societal Experts Action Network — sponsored by the National Science Foundation — is an activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and affiliated with the National Academies’ Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats. The National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

Contact:
Megan Lowry, Media Officer
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu

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