Optimistic bias. Optimistic bias is the reason we order a side of bacon even though we know diets high in processed meats correlate with a higher risk of colon cancer. Surely colon cancer happens to other people, right? However, people living in heavily individualistic societies — like the United States — tend to exhibit higher levels of optimistic bias.
False sense of control. The more control people think they have, generally, the less worried they are. This is why, for many, driving a car seems safer than flying in a plane. The car, of course, is statistically much more dangerous — in 2018, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, 36,560 Americans died in car accidents compared with 381 Americans killed in aviation accidents. So while masks and frequent hand washing are definitely ways to lower your risk of contracting the coronavirus, they may also be emboldening you. Social distancing is still key to preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Unclear cultural cues. We often learn about dangers in the same way from multiple sources. Take smoking, for example. You probably learned about tobacco causing cancer as a kid — either from your parents or from school. The messaging around Covid-19 is less clear because there’s not an existing well of shared cultural knowledge about its dangers. In fact, in some places, public health experts and elected officials are disagreeing on what is and isn’t safe. That means we’re getting a range of cultural cues and we may struggle to parse out which cues to follow.
Confirmation bias. If you are wondering if it is safe to dine outdoors with friends, you may do a search for: “Is dining outside safe during coronavirus?” But that search is likely to turn up articles about why it is safe to dine outside at this time. What most people do is that they only seek confirming evidence, a phenomenon called confirmation bias. If you really want the full breadth of information on dining out, you should also look up “dangers of dining outside during coronavirus."
Exposure therapy. Many of us are getting used to living in a pandemic. That’s lowering our guard as well. Exposure therapy, or having people confront their fears in tiny doses, is how patients with anxiety-specific phobias are treated. If you were afraid of dogs but had to work in a puppy store, eventually, you’re going to get used to it.