Pandemic Fatigue: Measurement, Correlates, and Consequences Lau Lilleholt1, Ingo Zettler1, Cornelia Betsch2,3, and Robert Böhm1,4,5 1Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Norhäuser Str. 63, 99089 Erfurt, Germany; 3Center for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioural Sciences (CEREB), University of Erfurt, Norhäuser Str. 63, 99089 Erfurt, Germany; 4Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark; 5Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science (SODAS), University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark *Correspondence to:
[email protected] 1 Abstract With no effective treatment or vaccine widely available, most national COVID-19 response strategies have relied on people’s willingness to comply with health-protective behaviours and behavioural restrictions. Despite generally high levels of public compliance, several countries have reported a recent upsurge in the number of people who no longer sufficiently adhere to restrictions or keep themselves informed about COVID-19. This developing trend has been attributed to Pandemic Fatigue. Using quota-representative survey data from Denmark and Germany (overall n = 12,191), we introduce a psychometrically sound measure of Pandemic Fatigue, show who experiences it, identify related emotions and perceptions, and shed light on the relation between Pandemic Fatigue and four COVID-19-related health-protective behaviours. Further, based on a preregistered online experiment with US participants (n = 1,584), we establish a causal link between Pandemic Fatigue and people’s intention to comply with recommended heath-protective behaviours. 2 Introduction In an attempt to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), governments and health authorities across the globe have both recommended and mandated various health-protective measures, such as mask wearing, physical distancing, and self-isolation.