Rising Concerns over COVID-19 Persist Among British Public Due to Enforced Lockdown Measures, According to Recent Research Findings
The findings of a new study, published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science, shed light on the intricacies of public opinions regarding restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and their views on climate change.
Led by psychologists from Cardiff University, the University of Bath, and the University of Essex, the research emphasises the importance of asking the right questions in polling to avoid a limited or misleading understanding of public opinions. The study, with the DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210678, highlights the potential symbiotic relationship between public opinion and government policy.
The research found that raising people's personal threat was unlikely to enhance their support for restrictive measures, contrary to what some might expect. In fact, most people's personal sense of threat did not relate to their support for restrictions. However, the more people judged the risk in this way, the more they supported lockdown.
Interestingly, people supported lockdown yet thought many of its side effects were "unacceptable" in a cost-benefit analysis. This suggests that the UK public may have been more conflicted about lockdown than the headline polls suggest.
The study's findings could have implications for how governments approach policy-making, particularly in relation to environmental issues like climate change. Professor Whitmarsh believes that if governments implement bold policies to tackle issues like climate change, the public will be more likely to view them as serious problems. She suggests that bold actions, such as stopping all road building or blocking airport expansions, could help address issues like climate change.
The researchers are calling for more nuanced use of polling data during the pandemic to accurately represent the diversity and complexity of public opinion. This call for more nuanced analysis applies not only to the current pandemic but also to future policy-making processes.
The investigation of the symbiosis between public opinion and government measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic involves 14 experts in the Bundestag's Enquete Commission on corona, alongside 14 members of parliament. The commission includes experts and seeks to comprehensively review the pandemic and its consequences with public hearings planned.
The new research suggests that the UK public may take the COVID-19 pandemic less seriously once restrictions are lifted. This underscores the need for continued vigilance and careful interpretation of polling data to fully understand public opinions.
In conclusion, the study provides valuable insights into the complexities of public opinion and its relationship with government policy, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. It underscores the importance of asking the right questions and interpreting polling data with care to accurately represent public opinions.
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