Analyzing outdoor event attendees’ pro-social attitudes and intentions to adopt social distancing practices

This study developed a theoretical framework to understand outdoor event attendees’ psychological mechanisms associated with the adoption of pro-social behavior. The theory of planned behavior, the norm activation model, personal values, perceived knowledge and threats were all merged to formulate the framework, using Chinese outdoor event attendees after the outbreak of COVID-19 as survey participants. The results showed that attitude toward social distancing behavior, subjective norms, awareness of consequences, ascribed responsibility, personal norms, self-transcendent value, knowledge of the pandemic, and perceived threat had effects on activating pro-social intentions for social distancing practices. This study also provided implications for the theoretical expansion of predicting pro-social behavior and for the practical management of social distancing practices at outdoor events in the COVID-19 era. The limitations of the current study and suggestions for future research are also presented.