Collectivism and Altruistic Behavior: A Third-Person Effect Study of COVID-19 News Among Wuhan Residents

Yicheng Zhu; Ran Wei; Ven Hwei Lo; Mingxin Zhang; Zongya Li

doi:10.1177/20594364211045568

Collectivism and Altruistic Behavior: A Third-Person Effect Study of COVID-19 News Among Wuhan Residents

Yicheng Zhu
, Ran Wei^*
, Ven Hwei Lo
, Mingxin Zhang
, Zongya Li

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examines the third-person effects of COVID-19 news among Wuhan residents during the peak of the outbreaks in the city. Using data collected in a telephone survey of 1,071 Wuhan residents, results show that respondents believed others were more influenced by the COVID-19 news. However, the more the respondents systematically processed the news through elaboration and the more they were oriented toward collectivist values, the smaller the self-other perceptual gap. Finally, results suggest the moderating effect of collectivism on the relationship between perceived effects of COVID news and altruistic behavior—collectivism enhances the influence of perceived effects on others on adoption of altruistic behavior. The influence of culture in shaping risk perception and behavioral responses is discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	476-491
Number of pages	16
Journal	Global Media and China
Volume	6
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/20594364211045568
Publication status	Published - Dec 2021

User-Defined Keywords

COVID-19
culture collectivism
elaboration
promotional and altruistic behaviors
third-person effects

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10.1177/20594364211045568

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title = "Collectivism and Altruistic Behavior: A Third-Person Effect Study of COVID-19 News Among Wuhan Residents",

abstract = "This study examines the third-person effects of COVID-19 news among Wuhan residents during the peak of the outbreaks in the city. Using data collected in a telephone survey of 1,071 Wuhan residents, results show that respondents believed others were more influenced by the COVID-19 news. However, the more the respondents systematically processed the news through elaboration and the more they were oriented toward collectivist values, the smaller the self-other perceptual gap. Finally, results suggest the moderating effect of collectivism on the relationship between perceived effects of COVID news and altruistic behavior—collectivism enhances the influence of perceived effects on others on adoption of altruistic behavior. The influence of culture in shaping risk perception and behavioral responses is discussed.",

keywords = "COVID-19, culture collectivism, elaboration, promotional and altruistic behaviors, third-person effects",

author = "Yicheng Zhu and Ran Wei and Lo, \{Ven Hwei\} and Mingxin Zhang and Zongya Li",

note = "Funding information: The Co-Construction Project of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of Hubei Province and Huazhong University of Science and Technology on the School of Journalism [grant number 2020E04]; China{\textquoteright}s National Program for Support of Top-Notch Young Professionals. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021.",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1177/20594364211045568",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "476--491",

journal = "Global Media and China",

issn = "2059-4364",

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T1 - Collectivism and Altruistic Behavior

T2 - A Third-Person Effect Study of COVID-19 News Among Wuhan Residents

AU - Zhu, Yicheng

AU - Wei, Ran

AU - Lo, Ven Hwei

AU - Zhang, Mingxin

AU - Li, Zongya

N1 - Funding information: The Co-Construction Project of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of Hubei Province and Huazhong University of Science and Technology on the School of Journalism [grant number 2020E04]; China’s National Program for Support of Top-Notch Young Professionals. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2021.

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - This study examines the third-person effects of COVID-19 news among Wuhan residents during the peak of the outbreaks in the city. Using data collected in a telephone survey of 1,071 Wuhan residents, results show that respondents believed others were more influenced by the COVID-19 news. However, the more the respondents systematically processed the news through elaboration and the more they were oriented toward collectivist values, the smaller the self-other perceptual gap. Finally, results suggest the moderating effect of collectivism on the relationship between perceived effects of COVID news and altruistic behavior—collectivism enhances the influence of perceived effects on others on adoption of altruistic behavior. The influence of culture in shaping risk perception and behavioral responses is discussed.

AB - This study examines the third-person effects of COVID-19 news among Wuhan residents during the peak of the outbreaks in the city. Using data collected in a telephone survey of 1,071 Wuhan residents, results show that respondents believed others were more influenced by the COVID-19 news. However, the more the respondents systematically processed the news through elaboration and the more they were oriented toward collectivist values, the smaller the self-other perceptual gap. Finally, results suggest the moderating effect of collectivism on the relationship between perceived effects of COVID news and altruistic behavior—collectivism enhances the influence of perceived effects on others on adoption of altruistic behavior. The influence of culture in shaping risk perception and behavioral responses is discussed.

KW - COVID-19

KW - culture collectivism

KW - elaboration

KW - promotional and altruistic behaviors

KW - third-person effects

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85117326909

U2 - 10.1177/20594364211045568

DO - 10.1177/20594364211045568

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85117326909

SN - 2059-4364

VL - 6

SP - 476

EP - 491

JO - Global Media and China

JF - Global Media and China

IS - 4

ER -

Collectivism and Altruistic Behavior: A Third-Person Effect Study of COVID-19 News Among Wuhan Residents

Abstract

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