Assessing the Attitudes and Behavioural responses of society towards COVID-19 Precautionary Measures: The Mediating effect of Risk Perception

ABSTRACT

The pandemic of Covid-19 Novel Coronavirus is making bold headlines every day, claiming deaths and reeling the economy of each and every nation, ever since its emergence and potential outbreak. The effects of the pandemic has been such that it has stunningly brought a seismic shift in the attitudes and behaviour of the people in a short span of time. It has been observed as of late that people are trying their level best to create mass awareness amongst themselves, involving in practices to curtail the disease and evading any such risks that exposes them to the blood-thirsty disease. The objective of the current research paper is to examine and analyze the attitudes and behaviour of the people of West Bengal towards Covid-19 precautionary measures. For this purpose a framework has been developed by incorporating the construct of Risk Perception as a mediator. To this end, 453 respondents in different districts of West Bengal has been surveyed and their responses has been analyzed. The findings show that risk perception has a positive impact in influencing such attitudes and behaviour among the people of West Bengal.