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The Psychology Behind Why People Refuse to Wear Face Masks that Slow the Spread of COVID-19
We’ve all seen the enraging videos of Americans aggressively refusing to wear masks, even in areas in which masks are required. In these videos, we see patterns in their defiance; they seem to claim and support the same things. Most will say something along the lines of “it is my freedom to choose whether I wear a mask or not,” “this is a free country,” “I can’t breathe with it on,” or “COVID doesn’t exist.” Even though they seem to claim the same things when defying the law, what is the actual psychology behind why so many people feel wary about wearing masks? Since COVID-19 and mask defiance are both novel (new) topics, we must understand that the psychological factors implicating the rebellion against masks aren’t anywhere near fully-understood. Some of these factors may include health factors like asthma, emphysema, COPD, and other lung conditions (high resting heart rates mean that you will breathe far faster than the general population too, so masks may seem suffocating in that situation; for an example, try running for 2 minutes with a mask on, you will likely become moderately uncomfortable, at the least). In terms of psychological factors, there are many, and they do not all relate to political affiliation. In this episode, we will discuss some (and I cannot stress it enough when I say “some”) psychological factors that likely cause uncomfortability with or outright denial of, masking.
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or corrections, email me using the address provided below:
References:
Antisocial Masking Disorder - Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sacramento-street-psychiatry/202005/antisocial-masking-disorder
Fact Check on Donald Trump’s historical stance on face masks
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/09/trump-has-not-been-clear-in-support-of-masks/
Why the use of face masks can be a difficult adjustment - Mind
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/mask-anxiety-face-coverings-and-mental-health/
Strategies and outreach to make the adjustment to wearing face masks less difficult - UW Health
https://www.uwhealth.org/news/masks-can-cause-anxiety-for-some-but-there-is-help-w/53442
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By William GottemollerWe’ve all seen the enraging videos of Americans aggressively refusing to wear masks, even in areas in which masks are required. In these videos, we see patterns in their defiance; they seem to claim and support the same things. Most will say something along the lines of “it is my freedom to choose whether I wear a mask or not,” “this is a free country,” “I can’t breathe with it on,” or “COVID doesn’t exist.” Even though they seem to claim the same things when defying the law, what is the actual psychology behind why so many people feel wary about wearing masks? Since COVID-19 and mask defiance are both novel (new) topics, we must understand that the psychological factors implicating the rebellion against masks aren’t anywhere near fully-understood. Some of these factors may include health factors like asthma, emphysema, COPD, and other lung conditions (high resting heart rates mean that you will breathe far faster than the general population too, so masks may seem suffocating in that situation; for an example, try running for 2 minutes with a mask on, you will likely become moderately uncomfortable, at the least). In terms of psychological factors, there are many, and they do not all relate to political affiliation. In this episode, we will discuss some (and I cannot stress it enough when I say “some”) psychological factors that likely cause uncomfortability with or outright denial of, masking.
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or corrections, email me using the address provided below:
References:
Antisocial Masking Disorder - Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sacramento-street-psychiatry/202005/antisocial-masking-disorder
Fact Check on Donald Trump’s historical stance on face masks
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/09/trump-has-not-been-clear-in-support-of-masks/
Why the use of face masks can be a difficult adjustment - Mind
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/mask-anxiety-face-coverings-and-mental-health/
Strategies and outreach to make the adjustment to wearing face masks less difficult - UW Health
https://www.uwhealth.org/news/masks-can-cause-anxiety-for-some-but-there-is-help-w/53442