The Psychology Of Why Americans Refuse to Wear Face Masks
The science is clear. The public response is anything but.
As I was perusing the endless stream of COVID-19 news, I came across the curious case of Japan. There, the Prime Minister, and indeed every representative, is wearing a face mask, even as the government declines immediately to declare a state of emergency.
Across Southeast Asia, the entire population is wearing masks, and, indeed, there is a coincidence between those countries whose whole populations have donned masks and those countries who have most successfully contained the spread of the disease.
Perhaps it is even more than a coincidence, although a willingness to wear masks implies a willingness to comply with the totality of recommended measures as well, and perhaps a greater respect for and willingness to fund medical infrastructure, so separating out the impact of the masks alone would be difficult.
I have participated in a few international Facebook groups, and spoken with a few bewildered members of those nations. They have a question whose divergent frame really emphasizes the cultural divide:
