Jennifer Chatman berkeley.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from berkeley.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what s clicking on Foxnews.com.
Telling people to stay home and avoid gathering with loved ones during the holidays to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is easier said than done, according to researchers, who say such barriers often elicit strong outrage.
A paper authored by officials at the University of California, Berkeley cited the psychology of rituals as to why people react harshly to restrictions of holiday gatherings and other traditions. Government orders limiting gatherings and activities have elicited backlash among some people who feel the mandates are too restrictive.
Specifically, prohibitions amid the holiday season have been met with criticism and defiance.
Simply telling people not to gather for holiday rituals to avoid spreading COVID-19 won’t work, say researchers who cite the psychology of rituals.
Health officials may have to do more than just tell people not to gather in order to be effective, they say.
“People don’t want to have to pit one sacred value against another.”
That’s because coming together to exchange gifts on Christmas isn’t just about getting presents; it’s a symbol of love. Eating turkey on Thanksgiving isn’t just a shared meal; it’s an expression of gratitude. “We view rituals as more important than regular types of group activities because they reflect the values of the group,” says Dan Stein, a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and lead author of the paper.
E-Mail
In the midst of the raging coronavirus pandemic, we re faced with agonizing decisions about whether to forgo treasured holiday rituals. Many people have defied health officials, putting themselves at risk of contracting COVID-19 or spreading the disease in order to uphold their family traditions in person.
A new paper by two researchers at UC Berkeley s Haas School of Business sheds light on the psychology of rituals and why health officials may have to do more than just tell people not to gather in order to be effective.
That s because coming together to exchange gifts on Christmas isn t just about getting presents; it s a symbol of love. Eating turkey on Thanksgiving isn t just a shared meal; it s an expression of gratitude. We view rituals as more important than regular types of group activities because they reflect the values of the group, says Dan Stein, a Berkeley Haas doctoral student and lead author on the paper.