Physical Distancing or Social Distancing: A Q Methodological Exploration of Terms for Risk Communication

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has further demonstrated that communicating with the public during a crisis is an extremely challenging task. The field of risk communication endeavors to accomplish this with the use of various frameworks and tools. The purpose of this study was to apply Q methodology as an audience analysis tool to assess whether there are differences in participants’ perceptions, viewpoints, and comprehension of the terms physical distancing and social distancing, especially among experts with a public health background and the general public. Q methodology was used for the exploration of the participants’ subjective opinions, attitudes, and perspectives. In this study, two types of viewpoints were identified among the participants: the socioemotionally oriented and the rationally oriented. The research findings suggest that terms used in risk messages should be explicitly defined to reduce the possibility of the audience ascribing their own meaning to them. It also suggests that risk communicators should avoid using multiple terms to describe similar precautionary measures.