"We" are in This Pandemic, but "You" can get Through This: The Effects of Pronouns on Likelihood to Stay-at-Home During COVID-19. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tu, Ke C.; Chen, Shirley S.; Mesler, Rhiannon M.
• Other Names: Jucks Regina guest-editor.; Hendriks Friederike guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of language and social psychology. Volume 40:Number 5/6(2021)
• Page Start: 574
• Page End: 588
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) -- pronouns -- self-control -- stay-at-home; Sociolinguistics -- Periodicals; Psycholinguistics -- Periodicals; 401.905
• DOI: 10.1177/0261927X211044799
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0261-927X

Abstract

We examine how first-person plural and second-person singular pronouns used in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) communications impact people's likelihood to follow stay-at-home recommendations. A 2 (first-person plural ["we"] vs. second-person singular ["you"]) by continuous trait self-control between-subjects experiment ( N = 223) was used to examine individuals' adherence to stay-at-home recommendations. Results suggest that "you"-based appeals may be more broadly effective in garnering stay-at-home adherence, whereas low self-control individuals are less responsive to "we" appeals. Implications for research and practice are discussed.