NOT SHARING IS CARING:

I surveyed 1,033 Americans during the last week in April 2020, asking them how relevant each moral foundation is to staying at home, wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.

I found that Americans, on the whole, associated all three behaviors with the "caring" and "equality" foundations. Indeed, staying at home when you don't need to go out shows you care about others - I call this the caring foundation. But staying at home helps flatten the curve only if everyone does it - the equality foundation. The same can be said for wearing face masks and social distancing.

But I also found important age differences in two other moral foundations.

Younger adults felt that staying at home and wearing face masks go against their nature - what I call the nature foundation. It would make sense. Younger adults are more likely to crave social interactions, and so staying at home goes against what they perceive to be natural human behavior.

Meanwhile, wearing face masks not only is uncomfortable but hides one's face, which also goes against beliefs about how human beings are supposed to socialize.

Older adults, on the other hand, felt that all three behaviors show a greater value placed on communal goals and public health over personal comfort.

Interestingly, the authority foundation didn't relate to any of the three behaviors, regardless of age.

By understanding which moral foundations are relevant, social marketers, public health officials and policymakers can design more effective appeals to get people to stay at home, wear face masks and stay 6 feet apart.

For example, because Americans see the actions as showing they care, emphasizing how those behaviors show caring will likely increase compliance.

To target younger adults, who see staying at home and wearing face masks as going against the social nature of human beings, messages should suggest how these actions can actually facilitate socialization.

For example: "Wearing a mask lets you stay in touch, safely." Common slogans such as "Staying Apart, Together," while whimsical and a play on words, are unlikely to increase younger adults' uptake, since the "communal" foundation is a less relevant concern for them. Those slogans may be more effective for older adults.

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