Interview with Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Kals (holder of the KU Professorship of Social and Organizational Psychology)
At present, there seems to be a high degree of uncertainty, danger and fear – from climate change and the threat of terrorism to the next economic crisis. Why do people fear some things, such as the coronavirus, more than others?
Here as well, the answer is the same as in many cases: This is dependent on many causes and thus has a multicausal root. Thank God, here in Germany, we are currently not exposed to many risks that could nurture a comparable feeling of insecurity and threat as the new coronavirus. In addition, compared to other viral diseases, we know less about the coronavirus. The information situation is constantly changing. This leads to the fact that we have a different level of knowledge today than at the point in time when the topic came up. As medical experts, and mainly health experts and virologists, gain additional knowledge, recommended measures change. At the same time, the general public is also continuously informed about more current developments and newly gained knowledge. This dynamics and constant change in objective data and estimations fuel uncertainty.
This in particular applies to the spread of the virus that was initially underestimated by many. Numbers regarding the spread of the virus and number of deaths are reported in online live tickers. While they satisfy people’s need for up-to-date information on the one hand, they are also narrowing the fine line between information and unnecessary escalation of the issue on the other hand. Even the level-headed members of society use signal words despite the fact that they are actually pointing out that panic was inappropriate. What our unconscious perception takes in is the word “panic” and not the statement that it was inappropriate.
This flood of information and the special way in which it is processed and disseminated is accompanied by a feeling of not being in control of the situation, of not being able to assess the level of threat that we are currently dealing with. Constantly changing recommendations, which are all based on careful and thorough cost-benefit considerations, confirm the tremendous dynamics of the current situation.
What does the coronavirus currently do to societies when seen from a socio-psychological perspective? How does the fear of the virus affect us? Why do people hoard and panic buy groceries?
The spread of the virus is mainly caused by droplet infection, which is inevitably liked to direct social interaction. This means that our social community is at the center of attention both directly and indirectly. And this can also be seen as a huge chance if the situation evokes a feeling of collective responsibility. At the same time, however, it also involves the risk of exclusion, of no longer being able to participate in social life or even of blaming infected persons. Guilt, however, presupposes that someone has control over and assumes responsibility for the fact whether he or she is infected with the virus or not. Although simple hygiene measures, such as washing hands properly and adhering to coughing etiquette, help to protect others, possibilities for being able to protect oneself safely are obviously limited. Therefore, we can assume that we are dealing with an illusion of control that involves the underlying need for control.
Panic-buying and hoarding groceries could also be an expression of this illusion of control. It is a coping technique for people to get their fears and worries under control. They want to ensure that they have sufficient supplies at home so that they can live self-sufficiently and do not have to leave the house in times of doubt and uncertainty. People try – maybe even subconsciously and without really reflecting on what happens – to gain control over their lives to protect their health and wellbeing.
All this is accompanied by a certain herd effect: If everyone is panic-buying food, they are sending a social signal and have a certain model function that suggests to others that they should behave in the same way. This can lead to a vicious circle in which also level-headed members of society are dragged along and start hoarding flour and pasta – a behavior they would not display under normal circumstances. They act out of experience-based concern that the panic-buying of others could lead to the fact that certain groceries will not be available at all times and stores in the near future. In order to avoid ending up empty-handed, you also start to imitate others by hoarding food and thus entice others to do the same yourself.
Media influence also exacerbates the situation by posting powerful images of empty shelves in supermarkets and thus showing a situation that many of us are currently confronted with.
What function does fear have?
Seen from the perspective of evolutionary biology, fear has an important function: Fear indicates danger and prepares us for protecting ourselves against possible dangers, e.g. by fleeing. The human being would not have been able to survive without the ability to feel fear and caution. But what kind of fear does corona even trigger in us? Certainly, we have to talk about fears here, in the plural form rather than the singular: The fear of becoming infected yourself, maybe getting seriously ill or even die of the disease? Or are we afraid because we are worried about our loved ones who maybe belong to a risk group? Are we afraid because we do not know how to handle the suspicion of having become infected? It is the fear of not having reliable access to good medical care in case of illness because so many are ill at the same time? The fear of not being able to overcome a two-week quarantine unscathed? The fear of being socially excluded in case on an infection? Are we afraid of infecting loved ones? Of economic losses or maybe even afraid to lose our job? All of this are fears affecting ourselves and our loved ones.
Possibly, we are also dealing with increased fear that our society will not sufficiently fulfill its social responsibility. We may be afraid that vulnerable members of society are not sufficiently protected because our society does not sufficiently adhere to the preventive measures. We may be afraid that medical framework conditions can no longer be safeguarded to a degree that ensures that all citizens feel safe and protected. There might be the fear that the danger connected to the virus could split our society and even countries and cause tremendous economic damage.
What does that mean specifically?
It is important to understand and specify “the fear”. In order to be able to do that, in a first step, we must clarify which underlying judgments, preconceptions and assessments are connected to the different fears. We are then able to change these judgments and cognitions causing the fears. This is one of the basic principles of cognitive emotional models. In this way, diffuse fear turns into specific worries and anxieties that are based on judgments and that can be counteracted by collecting objective information on the issue, questioning our preconceptions critically and acting accordingly.
What would you expect to happen then?
We have an excellent information situation: It is possible to conduct targeted searches for reliable information on the internet. The Robert Koch Institute, which is a central government institution, is the recommended source of information. It continuously publishes up-to-date information, assesses current risks and issues recommendations for preventive measures. We learn that many of the implemented measures currently aim at slowing down the spread of the virus to take the burden off our health care systems and ensure that risk groups have priority for medical care and severe cases of the disease can receive very good medical treatment or can ideally be prevented in the first place. You also learn that, of course, people have to adhere to general safety precautions. In this connection, washing your hands properly, adhering to the coughing etiquette and keeping your distance to other people are very cost-efficient and effective ways of preventing many diseases. But in the end, there is no absolute protection, as it is hardly possible to keep an appropriate distance in many situations; on the other hand, being close to other people does not automatically mean that you get infected. In addition, our society must protect all those who are most vulnerable in such situations. Modern societies do have a collective responsibility to protect those in need of our protection as effectively as possible.
How can individuals make their contribution and how can we overcome our fears?
Everyone can contribute. For instance, by adhering to the recommendations issued by experts, for example to stay at home.
These recommendations are always based on careful assessment processes in which different interests and values are weighed. In this context, it is not easy at all to take decisions such as, for example, closure of educational institutions or companies or cancellation of events. When taking such decisions, one should always carefully weigh costs and benefits. Protecting the weak must be at the center of attention. For example: The fact that kindergartens, childcare facilities and elementary schools are closed might lead to the fact that children with working parents must be looked after by their grandparents, who are clearly a risk group.
We can only hope that we can diminish fears by critically reflecting on and changing existing preconceptions – a measure that will help us in finding an appropriate balance. At the same time, it would be nice to see an increase in positive emotions such as trust, confidence and empathy for those who might be more at risk than we are. Here as well, we must take a look at the specific focus of the respective emotions. If we take trust as an example, it could be the trust in the German government and that it does not withhold medical information but provides its citizens with the best possible information level. Trust in the fact that decision-makers act with the highest possible degree of responsibility in view of the current situation and that they make their decisions in line with the respective daily recommendations issued by the Robert Koch Institute or responsible ministries. Trust that medical staff is willing and prepared to provide relief and healing at the highest medical level in the event of an illness based on their individual identification with their task and responsibility. Trust in the fact that we live in a country that has one of the best health care systems in the world. And maybe also the profound trust that our society will master this crisis.
Besides the emotion of trust, confidence and empathy can also be applied to different situations or contexts. Still, all these emotions have one thing in common: Approaching the current situation of insecurity as constructively as possible, putting our fears into different perspectives and fostering positive emotions – even if this feels contradictory at first in a situation of crisis.
What about human solidarity in such periods of time?
It is certainly likely that a feeling of solidarity develops from these positive emotions – above all from empathic experience of the situation and the threat others are exposed to. Solidarity with those who belong to a risk group, but also with all those who are particularly challenged by the crisis either in a professional or private context and are pushed to their limits. Social exchange and daily conversations on the ongoing corona issue, also with strangers, can evoke a sense of community because people focus on their collective responsibility rather than on social exclusion.
If a society’s moral compass is to provide special support for those in need of help and those who provide this help, it will be able to overcome this crisis and grow even stronger. Many of us are likely to witness positive interactions in our daily lives already now in line with the principle that we need to stick together in times of crisis. We can find many specific and encouraging examples for this collective responsibility – for example also online. There are two students from Vienna, for instance, who offered their help with grocery shopping and running of other errands for their neighbors who belong to a risk group (in this case because they are over 65 years of age and suffer from an immune disorder or a weakened immune system). Positive examples like this need to be made more visible publicly so that others follow these examples and strengthen a climate of solidarity. This also includes reflected media consumption that allows people to actually perceive these positive examples.
How can we learn to live a good life despite diffuse fear?
By developing an awareness for our feelings and thoughts and by reflecting on our actions to align them with the principles of social responsibility and justice. Seen from the perspective of evolutionary biology, we are the only species that is actually capable of doing this!
Interview: Constantin Schulte Strathaus