Abstract

COVID-19 continues to be a threat to humanity since its first reported case in Wuhan, China in November 2019. Among various countermeasures to combat COVID-19, face masks are known to be the most effective method. However, there was much confusion in the earlier stages of the pandemic, and especially in the West, protests against wearing masks were frequent unlike in the East. Based on this phenomenon, the current research investigated the cultural difference related to wearing face masks in the pandemic. Specifically, we hypothesized that in collective cultures that value ingroup harmony and good relationships with others, people would wear face masks more frequently and would be influenced by social factors more compared to individualistic cultures. We also hypothesized that in individualistic cultures that value independence and choice, people would wear masks less and would consider personal factors more importantly compared to collectivistic cultures. The results showed that the frequency and intention to wear masks were higher in Koreans compared to Americans. Also, Koreans considered social factors more importantly compard to Americans, and Americans weighed personal factors greater compared to Koreans. Furthermore, the frequency of actually wearing a mask and the intention to wear a non-functioning mask were mediated by the degree of the social factor’s importance. The results of this study suggest that promoting collectivism can help deter COVID-19 and that culturally appropriate measures are necessary for collective crises like COVID-19.