Bibliographic details:

Kimhi, S., Eshel, Y., Marciano, H., & Adini, B. (2020). A Renewed Outbreak of the COVID− 19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study of Distress, Resilience, and Subjective Well-Being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), 7743.

Abstract:

Considering the potential impact of COVID-19 on the civil society, a longitudinal study was conducted to identify levels of distress, resilience, and the subjective well-being of the population.
The study is based on two repeated measurements conducted at the end of the pandemic’s “first wave” and the beginning of the “second wave” on a sample (n = 906) of Jewish Israeli respondents, who completed an online questionnaire distributed by an Internet panel company. Three groups of indicators were assessed: signs of distress (sense of danger, distress symptoms, and perceived threats), resilience (individual, community, and national), and subjective well-being (well-being, hope, and morale). Results indicated the following: (a) a significant increase in distress indicators, with effect sizes of sense of danger, distress symptoms, and perceived threats (Cohen’s d 0.614, 0.120, and 0.248, respectively); (b) a significant decrease in resilience indicators, with effect sizes of individual, community, and national resilience (Cohen’s d 0.153, 0.428, and 0.793, respectively); and (c) a significant decrease in subjective well-being indicators with effect sizes of well-being, hope, and morale (Cohen’s d 0.116, 0.336, and 0.199, respectively). To conclude, COVID-19 had a severe, large-scale impact on the civil society, leading to multidimensional damage and a marked decrease in
the individual, community, and national resilience of the population.

Webpage: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/7743

Bibliographic details:

Kimhi, S., Marciano, H., Eshel, Y., & Adini, B. (2020). Resilience and demographic characteristics predicting distress during the COVID-19 crisis. Social Science & Medicine, 265, 113389.

Abstract

Rationale
Due to lack of vaccine or cure, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a threat to all human beings, undermining people's basic sense of safety and increasing distress symptoms.

Objective
To investigate the extent to which individual resilience, well-being and demographic characteristics may predict two indicators of Coronavirus pandemic: distress symptoms and perceived danger.

Method
Two independent samples were employed: 1) 605 respondents recruited through an internet panel company; 2) 741 respondents recruited through social media, using snowball sampling. Both samples filled a structured online questionnaire. Correlations between psychological/demographic variables and distress and perceived danger were examined. Path analysis was conducted to identify predictive indicators of distress and perceived danger.

Results
Significant negative correlations were found between individual/community resilience and sense of danger (−0.220 and −0.255 respectively; p < .001) and distress symptoms (- 0.398 and −0.544 respectively; p < .001). Significant positive correlations were found between gender, community size, economic difficulties and sense of danger (0.192, 0.117 and 0.244 respectively; p < .001). Gender and economic difficulties also positively correlated with distress symptoms (0.130 and 0.214 respectively; p < .001). Path analysis revealed that all paths were significant (p < .008 to .001) except between family income and distress symptoms (p = .12). The seven predictors explained 20% of sense of danger variance and 34% the distress symptoms variance. The most highly predictive indicators were the two psychological characteristics, individual resilience, and well-being. Age, gender, community size, and economic difficulties due to COVID-19 further add to predicting distress, while community and national resilience do not. .

Conclusions
Individual resilience and well-being have been found as the first and foremost predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. Though both predictors are complex and may be influenced by many factors, given the potential return of COVID-19 threat and other future health pandemic threats to our world, we must rethink and develop ways to reinforce them.

Webpage: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953620306080

Bibliographic details

Kimhi, S., Marciano, H., Eshel, Y., & Adini, B. (2020). Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic: Distress and resilience. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 50, 101843.

Abstract

The current study analyzed repeated responses to the coronavirus. Data for the first phase was gathered during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Israel (T1), which included the overall lock-down of the Israeli society. The repeated measurement was conducted approximately two months later, on the initial phase of lifting the lock-down (T2). The sample size was 300 people. Results indicated four significant differences between the first and the second measurements: Sense of danger, distress symptoms, and national resilience significantly decreased, while perceived well-being increased at T2. No significant differences were noted between the two measurements regarding individual and community resilience and economic difficulties. The data indicated that the highest decrease in national resilience was accounted for by low respondent trust in governmental decisions during the COVID-19 crisis. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the participants was determined by two indicators: level of distress symptoms and sense of danger. Path analyses showed that five variables significantly predicted these two indicators. Their best predictor at T1 and T2 was well-being followed by individual resilience, economic difficulties due to the pandemic crisis, community resilience, and gender. It was concluded that psychological attributes may help in decreasing the impact of the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Webpage: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420920313455

Bibliographic details:

Dunlop, Claire A., Edoardo Ongaro, and Keith Baker. "Researching COVID-19: A research agenda for public policy and administration scholars." Public Policy and Administration 35.4 (2020): 365-383.

Abstract:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is one of the defining policy challenges of an era. In this article, we sketch some possible ways in which the public policy and administration community can make an enduring contribution about how to cope with this terrible crisis. We do so by offering some elements that delineate a tentative research agenda for public policy and administration scholars, to be pursued with epistemic humility. We outline the contours of seven analytical themes that are central to the challenges presented by COVID-19: policy design and instruments, policy learning, public service and its publics, organisational capacity, public governance, administrative traditions and public sector reforms in multi-level governance (MLG). The list is neither exhaustive nor exclusive to COVID-19. The knowledge we can generate must speak not only to the daunting challenge of COVID-19 itself but also to policymakers, and indeed humankind, trying to cope with future unexpected but high impact threats, by leveraging better public policies and building administrative capacities to enable more resilient, equitable and effective public services.

Webpage

Bibliographic details:

You, J. (2020). Lessons from South Korea’s Covid-19 policy response. The American Review of Public Administration, 50(6-7), 801-808. 

Abstract:

In responding to the Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, some government policies have been more effective in containing, suppressing, and mitigating the disease than others. Government leaders and public administrators can learn from other countries and adapt these lessons to their crisis management and public health systems. South Korea has emerged as a model to emulate in fighting the pandemic. While South Korea endured devastating early outbreaks, the country flattened the coronavirus curve without paralyzing the national health and economic systems. The author reviews South Korea’s public health policy approaches and the embedded context, by using documents and materials written in Korean and English, to learn how the country managed coronavirus from January through April 2020. The critical factors in South Korea’s public health administration and management that led to success include national infectious disease plans, collaboration with the private sector, stringent contact tracing, an adaptive health care system, and government-driven communication. This article also proposes some key aspects to be considered to transfer lessons from country-level responses in South Korea to other contexts.

Webpage

Bibliographic details:

Wong, C. M. L., & Jensen, O. (2020). The paradox of trust: perceived risk and public compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. Journal of Risk Research, 1-10.

Abstract:

Public trust in the authorities has been recognised in risk research as a crucial component of effective and efficient risk management. But in a pandemic, where the primary responsibility of risk management is not centralised within institutional actors but defused across society, trust can become a double-edged sword. Under these conditions, public trust based on a perception of government competence, care and openness may in fact lead people to underestimate risks and thus reduce their belief in the need to take individual action to control the risks. In this paper, we examine the interaction between trust in government, risk perceptions and public compliance in Singapore in the period between January and April 2020. Using social media tracking and online focus group discussions, we present a preliminary assessment of public responses to government risk communication and risk management measures. We highlight the unique deployment of risk communication in Singapore based on the narrative of ‘defensive pessimism’ to heighten rather than lower levels perceived risk. But the persistence of low public risk perceptions and concomitant low levels of compliance with government risk management measures bring to light the paradox of trust. This calls for further reflection on another dimension of trust which focuses on the role of the public; and further investigation into other social and cultural factors that may have stronger influence over individual belief in the need to take personal actions to control the risks.

Webpage

Bibliographic details:

Lazarus, J. V., Ratzan, S., Palayew, A., Billari, F. C., Binagwaho, A., Kimball, S., ... & El-Mohandes, A. (2020). COVID-SCORE: A global survey to assess public perceptions of government responses to COVID-19 (COVID-SCORE-10). PloS one, 15(10), e0240011.

Abstract:

Background Understanding public perceptions of government responses to COVID-19 may foster improved public cooperation. Trust in government and population risk of exposure may influence public perception of the response. Other population-level characteristics, such as country socio-economic development, COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, and degree of democratic government, may influence perception.

Methods and findings We developed a novel ten-item instrument that asks respondents to rate key aspects of their government’s response to the pandemic (COVID-SCORE). We examined whether the results varied by gender, age group, education level, and monthly income. We also examined the internal and external validity of the index using appropriate predefined variables. To test for dimensionality of the results, we used a principal component analysis (PCA) for the ten survey items. We found that Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92 and that the first component of the PCA explained 60% of variance with the remaining factors having eigenvalues below 1, strongly indicating that the tool is both reliable and unidimensional. Based on responses from 13,426 people randomly selected from the general population in 19 countries, the mean national scores ranged from 35.76 (Ecuador) to 80.48 (China) out of a maximum of 100 points. Heterogeneity in responses was observed across age, gender, education and income with the greatest amount of heterogeneity observed between countries. National scores correlated with respondents’ reported levels of trust in government and with country-level COVID-19 mortality rates.

Conclusions The COVID-SCORE survey instrument demonstrated satisfactory validity. It may help governments more effectively engage constituents in current and future efforts to control COVID-19. Additional country-specific assessment should be undertaken to measure trends over time and the public perceptions of key aspects of government responses in other countries.

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Bibliographic details:

Collins-Kreiner, N. & Ram, Y. (2020). National tourism strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Annals of Tourism Research.

Abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a powerful and varied impact on the tourism industry. This research note, composed in July 2020, half a year after the outbreak of the pandemic, aims: a) to outline national Covid-19 exit strategies for tourism; b) to compare, analyze, and synthesize the current strategies; and c) to assess whether the strategies proposed by the UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization) have been adopted by different countries, as no study produced thus far has considered both the strategies and their adoption. This note's broader goal is to better understand the pandemic's impact not only on the tourism industry but on policy implementation on the global level.

Link to paper

Bibliographic details:

Zamir, E. and Teichman, D., ההתמודדות השלטונית עם משבר הקורונה – היבטים התנהגותיים 
Governmental Decision-Making Regarding the Covid-19 Pandemic -- a Behavioral Perspective (September 24, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3698682 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3698682

Abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to legal policymakers throughout the world. This paper analyzes the decision-making processes of Israeli public officials in this sphere, from a behavioral perspective. This perspective helps understanding the judgments and decisions of political and professional decision-makers, and sheds light on the public discourse. After describing the challenges facing the government and the legal measures taken in response to the pandemic, the paper presents a theoretical framework for the analysis of governmental decisions from a behavioral perspective. Each of the remaining three parts focuses on one category of psychological phenomena that may influence governmental decision-making: the way people assess probabilities and risks; the unique effect of quantitative information (compared to unquantifiable data) and of international rankings; and the role of self-serving biases.

תקציר בעברית: מגפת הקורונה הציבה בפני קובעי המדיניות המשפטית ברחבי העולם אתגרים חסרי תקדים. רשימה זו מנתחת את תהליכי קבלת ההחלטות של קובעי המדיניות ת בישראל בנושא זה מנקודת מבט התנהגותית. נקודת מבט זו מסייעת להבין את השיפוטים וההחלטות של בעלי התפקידים בדרג הפוליטי והמקצועי, ושופכת אור על השיח הציבורי. לאחר תיאור של האתגרים שנִצבו בפני הממשלה והצעדים המשפטיים שננקטו בישראל בתגובה למגפה, מציגה הרשימה מסגרת עיונית לדיון בהחלטות שלטוניות מנקודת מבט התנהגותית. שלושת החלקים הבאים מתמקדים כל אחד בקבוצה של תופעות פסיכולוגיות העשויות להשפיע על החלטות שלטוניות: האופן שבו אנשים מעריכים הסתברויות וסיכונים; ההשפעה המיוחדת של נתונים מספריים (בהשוואה למידע שאינו ניתן לכימות), ושל דירוגים בין-לאומיים על שיפוטים והחלטות; והתפקיד שמשחקות הטיות לטובת העצמי.

Webpage: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3698682

Bibliographic details:

Teichman, Doron and Zamir, Eyal, איך גורמים למדינה שלמה לעטות מסכות פנים: הנדים, ציוויים, והמענה המשפטי למגפת הקורונה בישראל 
How Do You Cause Everyone to Start Wearing Facemasks: Nudges, Mandates, and the Legal Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in Israel (September 24, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3698731 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3698731

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic brought policymakers in Israel and around the world to use the law to try and bring about a swift change of human behavior in an array of areas, in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus. This Article examines the potential contribution of behavioral economics to bringing about this change in behavior. To deal with this question, the article compares nudges (i.e., choice-preserving, behaviorally informed tools that encourage people to behave as desired) and mandates (i.e., obligations backed by sanctions that dictate to people how they must behave). It argues that mandates rather than nudges should serve in most cases as the primary legal tool used to promote risk reduction during a pandemic. The Article nonetheless highlights the role nudges can play as substitutes or complements to mandates. Finally, the article reviews numerous examples of instances in which behavioral insights were incorporated into the legal response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel.

תקציר בעברית: מגפת הקורונה גרמה לקובעי מדיניות בארץ ובעולם להשתמש במשפט על מנת לנסות להוביל לשינוי התנהגות מהיר בשורה של נושאים, מתוך מטרה לצמצם את התפשטות הנגיף. מאמר זה בוחן את התרומה האפשרית של תובנות מתחום הכלכלה ההתנהגותית לקידום אותו שינוי התנהגות. על מנת לבחון שאלה זו, המאמר מציג מסגרת עיונית שבמרכזה האבחנה בין ציוויים (חובות עשה ואל תעשה המגובות בסנקציה) לבין הנדים (כלי רגולציה שמשפיעים על החלטות של פרטים באמצעות תובנות התנהגותיות וזאת מבלי לשלול מהפרטים את חופש הבחירה). על פי המסגרת העיונית המוצגת, במהלך מגפה על מעצבי מדיניות לבסס את מדיניותם על ציוויים ולא על הנדים. יחד עם זאת, הנדים יכולים להשתלב בתגובה המשפטית למגפה כתחליפים לציוויים במצבים שבהם לא ניתן להשתמש בציוויים, או כאמצעי משלים שנועד להגביר את הציות לציוויים. לאחר הצגת המסגרת העיונית, המאמר מציג שורה של דוגמאות לשימוש בתובנות התנהגותיות במסגרת גיבוש התגובה המשפטית למגפת הקורונה בישראל.

Webpage: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3698731