Researchers from the University of Otago’s Department of Psychology are urgently seeking participants for research into life under the lockdown imposed in response to Covid-19. Participants would be required to take a 15 minute survey.
The aim of the project is to assess how the Covid-19 crisis has influenced New Zealanders’ beliefs and behaviour.
“We’re particularly interested in whether crises like Covid-19 change people’s political beliefs and whether these changes are maintained as we go down the lockdown levels and the risk of Covid-19 decreases. We are also interested in how the media coverage of young people breaking the lockdown rules has influenced how older age groups view them.” says lead researcher Dr Damian Scarf.
Anyone over 18 can take part in the 10-15 minute online survey, which can be found by clicking this link
With New Zealand locked down under Alert Level 4 conditions since midnight on Wednesday March 25th, and due to drop to Alert Level 3 next week, Dr Scarf is eager for participants immediately.
“It is important to get responses that are based on people’s current feelings and behaviour, rather than requiring people to answer based on their memory of life under Alert Level 4,” Dr Scarf adds.
The data received will be examined to see how people of differing age groups and backgrounds react to crises. Identities of respondents will not be made public.
The research team hope to have a pool of at least 1000 respondents take part in the survey during each alert level New Zealand finds itself under.
The research team hope the initial study will take around one month, with the first study written within the next two months
