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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS One

Societal values versus individual rights with respect to public health related practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

  • Courtney Bir1
  • Nicole Olynk Widmar2
  • Christopher A. Wolf3
  • Torrie Sheridan4
  • Maria Berikou
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
  2. 2Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
  3. 3Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
  4. 4Purdue University Brand Studio, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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Abstract

Policies aimed at limiting COVID-19 spread during the pandemic generated dissatisfaction and resistance as they limited privileges or were perceived to infringe on individuals’ rights. Simultaneously, pandemic control and risk mitigation practices are seemingly subject to social resistance, just as other personal risk mitigating practices like seat belt use are. This analysis contributes to understanding U.S. resident perceptions of and compliance with public health pandemic control measures in January 2021. U.S. resident agreement with societal values statements as they pertain to healthcare, societal obligations to protect the elderly and children, and individual rights were studied. For all personal viral spread reducing behaviors studied, likelihood of participation increased with increasing agreement that: healthcare is a human right; the respondent wears a seat belt; we have a societal responsibility to protect the elderly; and having themselves or someone in their household in the higher risk group for COVID-19 complications. Agreement that gun ownership was a right decreased the likelihood of participation in any of the personal behaviors that affect viral spread. This study aims to understand societal perceptions of individual responsibility and rights relative to societal values and responsibilities, which has implications for future public health policy discussions.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{bir2026societal,
  title = {{Societal values versus individual rights with respect to public health related practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.}},
  author = {Courtney Bir and Nicole Olynk Widmar and Christopher A. Wolf and Torrie Sheridan and Maria Berikou},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0358741},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358741},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Societal values versus individual rights with respect to public health related practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.
AU  - Courtney Bir
AU  - Nicole Olynk Widmar
AU  - Christopher A. Wolf
AU  - Torrie Sheridan
AU  - Maria Berikou
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/24
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0358741
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358741
AB  - Policies aimed at limiting COVID-19 spread during the pandemic generated dissatisfaction and resistance as they limited privileges or were perceived to infringe on individuals’ rights. Simultaneously, pandemic control and risk mitigation practices are seemingly subject to social resistance, just as other personal risk mitigating practices like seat belt use are. This analysis contributes to understanding U.S. resident perceptions of and compliance with public health pandemic control measures in January 2021. U.S. resident agreement with societal values statements as they pertain to healthcare, societal obligations to protect the elderly and children, and individual rights were studied. For all personal viral spread reducing behaviors studied, likelihood of participation increased with increasing agreement that: healthcare is a human right; the respondent wears a seat belt; we have a societal responsibility to protect the elderly; and having themselves or someone in their household in the higher risk group for COVID-19 complications. Agreement that gun ownership was a right decreased the likelihood of participation in any of the personal behaviors that affect viral spread. This study aims to understand societal perceptions of individual responsibility and rights relative to societal values and responsibilities, which has implications for future public health policy discussions.
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -