How national leaders keep 'us' safe: A longitudinal, four-nation study exploring the role of identity leadership as a predictor of adherence to COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions.
Svenja B FrenzelS Alexander HaslamNina Mareen JunkerAidos K BolatovValerie A ErkensJan Alexander HäusserRonit KarkInes MeyerAndreas MojzischLucas MonzaniStephen D ReicherAdil SamekinSebastian C SchuhNiklas K SteffensLiliya SultanovaDina Van DijkLlewellyn Ellardus van ZylRolf van DickPublished in: BMJ open (2022)
National leaders can make a difference by promoting a sense of shared identity among their citizens because people are more inclined to follow health-protective NPIs to the extent that they feel part of a united 'us'. However, the content of identity leadership (perceptions of what it means to be a nation's citizen) is essential, because this can also encourage people to disregard such recommendations.