Our study examines the relationship between news exposure at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal threat beliefs, beliefs about others’ threat perceptions, and participation in precautionary actions. A survey of 377 U.S . adults revealed a significant main effect of news exposure on various precautionary behaviors (e.g., facial mask wear, physical distancing). Personal threat beliefs and beliefs about others’ threat perceptions serve as unique mechanisms mediating the effect of news on specific CDC-recommended and less socially desirable actions. These findings can guide news sources covering health crises in a socially responsible manner.

我们的研究考察了 COVID-19 大流行开始时的新闻曝光、个人威胁信念、对他人威胁感知的信念以及参与预防行动之间的关系。对 377 个美国的调查。成年人揭示了新闻曝光对各种预防行为（例如戴口罩、保持身体距离）的显着主要影响。个人威胁信念和对他人威胁感知的信念作为一种独特的机制，可以调节新闻对特定 CDC 推荐的和社会不太理想的行为的影响。这些发现可以指导新闻来源以对社会负责的方式报道健康危机。