In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the globe have been asked to change their behavior. We’ve been asked to wear masks, stay home as much as possible, and keep six feet away from others.
How do Philadelphians feel about these public health precautions? To find out, GovLabPHL partnered with the University of Pennsylvania and polling firm Civiqs to conduct a survey.
The survey found that Philadelphians agree on the importance of public health precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Overwhelming support for public health precautions
The survey found that:
- 79 percent of Philadelphians agree that everyone in Philadelphia needs to make it as easy as possible for those around them to “socially distance” in public (i.e., keep six feet of distance between themselves and others).
- 75 percent of Philadelphians agree that everyone in Philadelphia needs to wear a mask every time they leave the house.
- 75 percent of Philadelphians believe that “staying at home, minimizing your social contact with others, and keeping at least six feet away from others” are important steps to take.
The online survey of 626 adult Philadelphia residents was conducted from May 5 through May 8, 2020. The results were weighted by age, race, gender, and education to be representative of the population of adults in Philadelphia.
Your neighbors really do want you to wear a mask!
One interesting finding from the survey was that people may not realize how strongly their neighbors want them to observe public health guidelines. While three out of four Philadelphians agree on the importance of public health precautions, only 42 percent of Philadelphians think that their neighbors believe strongly in them.
Research in behavioral science has shown that emphasizing the “social norm”—what most people do or believe—can encourage people to change their behavior, especially if they may not have previously realized what the norm was. For example, some people may think that their neighbors don’t care about or even think they are silly for wearing a mask.
In fact, our survey suggests that their neighbors love them for it.
