Preventive behaviors are crucial to prevent the spread of the coronavirus causing COVID-19. We adopted a complex psychological systems approach to obtain a descriptive account of the network of attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19. A survey study (N = 1,022) was conducted with subsamples from the United Kingdom (n = 502) and the Netherlands (n = 520). The results highlight the importance of people’s support for, and perceived efficacy of, the measures and preventive behaviors. This also applies to the perceived norm of family and friends adopting these behaviors. The networks in both countries were largely similar but also showed notable differences. The interplay of psychological factors in the networks is also highlighted, resulting in our appeal to policy makers to take complexity and mutual dependence of psychological factors into account. Future research should study the effects of interventions aimed at these factors, including effects on the network, to make causal inferences.

预防行为​​对于防止导致 COVID-19 的冠状病毒传播至关重要。我们采用了复杂的心理系统方法来获得与 COVID-19 相关的态度和行为网络的描述性描述。对来自英国 ( n = 502) 和荷兰 ( n = 520) 的子样本进行了一项调查研究 ( N = 1,022)。结果强调了人们对这些措施和预防行为的支持以及对其有效性的认识的重要性。这也适用于家人和朋友采取这些行为的认知规范。两国的网络基本相似，但也显示出显着差异。网络中心理因素的相互作用也得到了强调，因此我们呼吁政策制定者考虑心理因素的复杂性和相互依赖性。未来的研究应该研究针对这些因素的干预措施的效果，包括对网络的影响，以做出因果推论。