A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Significance Communicating in ways that motivate engagement in social distancing remains a critical global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested motivational qualities of messages about social distancing (those that promoted choice and agency vs. those that were forceful and shaming) in 25,718 people in 89 countries. The autonomy-supportive message decreased feelings of defying social distancing recommendations relative to the controlling message, and the controlling message increased controlled motivation, a less effective form of motivation, relative to no message. Message type did not impact intentions to socially distance, but people’s existing motivations were related to intentions. Findings were generalizable across a geographically diverse sample and may inform public health communication strategies in this and future global health emergencies. Abstract Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

Natural convection mud type solar dryers for rural farmers

A prototype direct mod'e natural convection mud type solar dryer was designed, fabricated and tested. Mud was selected as a major dryer material based on its thermal properties, availability and workability by the rural dwellers who .are the end users. Consequent to the laboratory test which dried maize from initial moisture content of 29 % wet basis to final moisture content of 12 % wet basis, three large scale mud type solar dryers of 400 kg capacity of maize grain, were constructed and each located at Jere, New-Wase and Kwaka, in Kaduna and Niger states of Nigeria respectively.150 kg of maize grain available from the farmers, at 30 % initial moisture content wet basis was dried at a batch in three replicates to 12 % moisture content wet basis, with the dryers. The dried crops were used to evaluate the large .. scale mud solar dryers. The results showed that the dryers achieved SS percent saving in drying time, with high quality dried crops, over the open sun drying. Also, the dryers and oven sun drying methods attained average system drying efficiencies of 45 .6 and 22. 7 percent in the same order. Oral interview conducted to randomized sample of farmers in Jere, New-Wase and Kwaka, showed that the farmers were willing to adopt mud solar dryer for drying their crops, because they normally work with mud, and can afford to own mud type solar dryers.Key words: Solar Energy, Mud, Dryer, Open sun, Farmers, Maize