The influence of risk perception on protective behaviours: The moderating role of cultural tightness–looseness

Previous studies have indicated that risk perception influences individuals' willingness to engage in protective behaviours; however, the relationship between these two factors remains unclear. This study investigates whether Cultural Tightness–Looseness moderates this relationship. We employed Mixed-Effects Models analysis on data from 29,456 participants across 32 countries, linking their risk perception and protective behaviours to the cultural tightness–looseness of their regions. The results revealed that (i) increased risk perception is associated with heightened protective behaviours, particularly in the spatial distancing dimension; (ii) Cultural Tightness–Looseness partially influenced the relationship between risk perception and protective behaviours. In areas with low Cultural Tightness–Looseness, higher risk perception was associated with greater willingness to engage in protective behaviours. However, in areas with high Cultural Tightness–Looseness, there was no connection between risk perception and protective behaviours. This effect is evident in the dimension of spatial distancing, while it was not observed in the areas of physical hygiene and policy support; and (iii) the self-other perspective difference influenced the aforementioned moderating effect. When participants took a self-perspective, the moderating effect was stronger, whereas when they took an other-perspective, the effect disappeared. These findings emphasize the significant impact of cross-cultural differences on risk perception and behavioural decision-making. They also illustrate how external motivations can suppress internal motivations, offering new insights for designing pandemic response strategies in regions with different social norms.