Guidance

Factors associated with attendee adherence to COVID-19 guidance during the 2021 DCMS Events Research Programme

Updated 8 September 2021

Dr Anne Templeton, University of Edinburgh

Professor John Drury, University of Sussex

As events re-open, close analysis will be required to identify potential risk factors associated with non-adherence to COVID-19 guidance, and to examine spectator experiences of the events. We will evaluate these factors at 3 case study venues. This will inform communication interventions to increase safety at later phases of events.

Objectives

1. Identify risk factors associated with self-reported (non)adherence to COVID-19 guidance at events

2. Analyse spectator experiences and self-reported adherence across indoor and outdoor events, and across occupancy levels

3. Collaborate with Movement Strategies to compare results from behavioural and self-report data on spectator adherence to COVID-19 measures, to identify possible reasons for non-adherence

4. Gain data to inform communication intervention strategies at later events phases to increase spectator adherence to COVID-19 guidance using identified influential people and motivators for behaviour

Data collection

We will collect data on key factors associated with safe spectator behaviour at events

1. Online surveys examining perceptions of safety, communications strategies, self-reported adherence, and behaviours of others. This data will provide information about the relationships between perceived risk, perceived importance of following guidance, others’ adherence, norms of safety, and self-reported adherence, knowledge of the COVID-19 safety measures (e.g., safe egress), confidence in ability to perform the measures, and perception of the source of communication

2. Case study online interviews with 9 attendees per venue to explore spectator experience in an open-ended way

Full project timeline

The research will take place across 3 events phases:

1. Phase 1: (current phase) Initial examination of spectator experiences and self-reported adherence

2. Phase 2: Pre communication interventions data collection and intervention development

3. Phase 3: Intervention trial and post-intervention data collection to inform creation of a communications toolkit for large crowd events

Proposed venues

Sheffield (Crucible), London (Wembley), and Liverpool (Sefton Park). These venues will cover indoor and outdoor events at differing levels of capacity to signal any important differences in spectator experience and self-reported adherence. It is critical that we aim to use the same venues across the event phases for data comparison. 

Coordination with SAGE EMG

The proposed research responds to the SAGE EMG paper commissioned by DCMS ‘Scientific framework for opening up group events’. Specifically, the proposed research addresses the priority research question ‘which characteristics of events and venues and behaviours likely contribute to most transmission?’, with a focus on process via self-report and behavioural measures. The research and interventions will be informed by existing theory from crowd psychology and evidence from pilot sporting events during late summer 2020. The research will focus on identified topics such as demographic profiles, and physical characteristic of the event, e.g., indoor or outdoor; seated or unseated; entrances and exits; flow of people; physical space separation; and face coverings. 

Specifically, we will obtain results of behavioural measures from Movement Strategies, e.g., physical distancing; forms of greeting; wearing of face-coverings; singing, chanting, shouting’ sharing food and drink. This will be compared with our self-report data on public (1) understandings and perceptions of risk, (2) knowledge of symptoms, (3) beliefs about transmission, and (4) perceived efficacy of measures (5) Relationship with organizers/ authorities (6) Fair treatment by organizers/ authorities (7) Behaviour of ‘role models’ (8) Meta-perception of norms (for distancing, masks, hand-hygiene).

By combining the self-report data with the observational results from Movement Strategies, this research will provide essential process evidence to complement those pilot studies measuring outcomes (infection rates before and after events).

Full independent ethical approval has been obtained by the University of Edinburgh’s School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences ethics committee in accordance with British Psychology Society guidelines. We will observe principles of open science by pre-registering our proposed analysis and uploading the materials and anonymised data to the Open Science Framework. 

 

Work plan for Phase 1

Activity 1: coordination with venues

• We will gather venue plans in relation to the communication of safety information to spectators, to establish key areas to examine and identify mediums for later interventions (e.g., loudspeakers, digital message boards)

• We will coordinate with event organisers to advertise the surveys and interview at events and/or emails to ticketholders

• We will liaise with Movement Strategies to ensure it is possible to obtain the required observational data for comparison with our self-report data

Activity 2: develop preliminary spectator surveys and interviews

• We will develop an initial spectator online survey for 3 venues to examine spectator experiences and identify reasons for unsafe behaviour. Following requests by DCMS, the surveys will include questions about whether/how the COVID-19 safety measures impact spectator experiences of events. This includes approval to use the results from Movement Strategies’ work in our analysis and interpretation

• We will develop semi-structured interview schedules for online interviews with spectators from each of the 3 events to explore spectator experiences and self-reported adherence in an open-ended way

Activity 3: data collection and analysis

• The online survey results will be analysed to identify: spectator experiences, self-reported adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, variables associated with safe spectator behaviour, risk factors associated with non-adherence, and routes to facilitate safe behaviour using social norms in communication interventions during events

• We will recruit attendees and conduct online interviews, followed by transcription and analysis to generate themes of key factors associated with spectator experience and self-reported adherence to COVID-19 guidance

• We will coordinate with Movement Strategies to obtain results from their observational data of adherence to triangulate self-reported and observed behaviour of attendees

 

Activity: reporting

• We will provide an interim summary report on key findings (e.g., perceived safety, adherence, key considerations) after the completion of events (Deliverable 1) 

• We will provide a final summary report of findings in June (Deliverable 2) including recommendations for further exploration. We will attend to key differences across the venues (e.g. indoor versus outdoor)

• We will provide individual summary reports for each venue in June (Deliverable 3)

• Results with be shared with DCMS, SGSA, and relevant organisations

 

Deliverables

Deliverable	Description	Due*
1	Interim summary report outlining key findings of spectator experiences and factors associated with adherence and risk-taking	May
2	Final summary report outlining key findings, as well as recommendations for further exploration and interventions in later phases	June
3	Individual reports for each venue	June

*Anticipated timeline - liable to change if events are postponed or cancelled.