Harnessing the Power of Words to Address the COVID-19 Crisis

Katherine Farrow (1) , Gilles Grolleau (2, 3) , Naoufel Mzoughi (4)

1 UPN - Université Paris Nanterre
2 ESSCA - School of Management
3 UM - Université de Montpellier
4 ECODEVELOPPEMENT - Ecodéveloppement

Behavioral public administration theory suggests that seemingly irrelevant word choice manipulations can influence behavior. We contend that the power of words has frequently been overlooked in the COVID-19 crisis. Given that most decisions mobilize System 1 cognition, words can be an important tool in pursuing socially-desirable outcomes. Beyond their substantive content, words choice matters because language operates largely via automatic processes. Based on findings from this literature, words can be harnessed to induce behavioral change aligned with public health objectives. We elucidate several mechanisms through which these effects are likely to occur and suggests concrete applications to the COVID-19 crisis.

Domaines: Science politique

Katherine Farrow, Gilles Grolleau, Naoufel Mzoughi. Harnessing the Power of Words to Address the COVID-19 Crisis. Administration and Society, 2023, 55 (2), pp.294-307. ⟨10.1177/00953997221133498⟩. ⟨hal-04047757v1⟩