Developing social psychological theory and methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

This chapter focuses upon development of social psychological theory and methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores empirical research into engagement in preventive behavior, vaccination likelihood and mental health promotion during the pandemic. Two approaches to quantitative data in COVID-19 research are outlined: cross-sectional survey and experimental methods. The implications of the outbreak of COVID-19 upon research using these approaches are discussed and innovations in these research designs are outlined. Broader issues concerning the way in which research is commissioned in anticipation for and during a pandemic are explored. Public crises necessitate interdisciplinary teamwork in generating useful data. This interdisciplinarity results in the creation of novel research designs and the mixture of methods in both data collection and analysis. Some of the design innovations that emerged during the COVID-19 crises and the obstacles they faced are described.