We examined perceived self-other differences (self-uniqueness) in appraisals of one's risk of an infectious disease (COVID-19), one's adherence to behavioural precautionary measures against the disease, and the impact of these measures on one's life. We also examined the relationship of self-uniqueness with information seeking and trust in sources of information about the disease. We administered an online survey to a community sample (N = 8696) of Dutch-speaking individuals, mainly in Belgium and The Netherlands, during the first lockdown (late April-Mid June 2020). As a group, participants reported that they were less likely to get infected or infect others or to suffer severe outcomes than average (unrealistic optimism) and that they adhered better than average to behavioural precautionary measures (illusory superiority). Except for participants below 25, who reported that they were affected more than average by these measures (egocentric impact bias), participants also generally reported that they were less affected than average (allocentric impact bias). Individual differences in self-uniqueness were associated with differences in the number of information sources being used and trust on these sources. Higher comparative optimism for infection, self-superiority, and allocentric impact perception were associated with information being sought from fewer sources; higher self-superiority and egocentric impact perception were associated with lower trust. We discuss implications for health communication.

中文翻译：

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比较乐观、自我优越感、以自我为中心的影响感知和健康信息搜索：一项 COVID-19 研究。

我们在评估一个人患传染病 (COVID-19) 的风险、一个人对疾病的行为预防措施的遵守情况以及这些措施对一个人生活的影响时，检查了感知到的自我其他差异（自我独特性）。我们还研究了自我独特性与信息寻求和对疾病信息来源的信任之间的关系。在第一次封锁期间（2020 年 4 月下旬至 6 月中旬），我们对主要在比利时和荷兰的荷兰语社区样本（N = 8696）进行了在线调查。作为一个群体，参与者报告说，他们感染或感染他人或遭受严重后果的可能性低于平均水平（不切实际的乐观），并且他们比平均水平更好地遵守行为预防措施（虚幻的优越感）。除了 25 岁以下的参与者报告说他们受到这些措施的影响高于平均水平（以自我为中心的影响偏差）外，参与者通常还报告说他们受到的影响低于平均水平（以自我为中心的影响偏差）。自我独特性的个体差异与使用的信息源数量和对这些信息源的信任度的差异有关。对感染、自我优越感和异体中心影响感知的较高比较乐观与从较少来源寻求信息有关；较高的自我优越感和以自我为中心的影响感知与较低的信任度相关。我们讨论了对健康沟通的影响。参与者还普遍报告说，他们受到的影响低于平均水平（异中心影响偏差）。自我独特性的个体差异与使用的信息源数量和对这些信息源的信任度的差异有关。对感染、自我优越感和异体中心影响感知的较高比较乐观与从较少来源寻求信息有关；较高的自我优越感和以自我为中心的影响感知与较低的信任度相关。我们讨论了对健康沟通的影响。参与者还普遍报告说，他们受到的影响低于平均水平（异中心影响偏差）。自我独特性的个体差异与使用的信息源数量和对这些信息源的信任度的差异有关。对感染、自我优越感和异体中心影响感知的较高比较乐观与从较少来源寻求信息有关；较高的自我优越感和以自我为中心的影响感知与较低的信任度相关。我们讨论了对健康沟通的影响。异中心的影响感知与从较少来源寻求的信息有关；较高的自我优越感和以自我为中心的影响感知与较低的信任度相关。我们讨论了对健康沟通的影响。异中心的影响感知与从较少来源寻求的信息有关；较高的自我优越感和以自我为中心的影响感知与较低的信任度相关。我们讨论了对健康沟通的影响。