The Influence of Defiant Motivational Postures on Compliance with COVID-19 Mandates: Moderating Effects of Trust and Sanction Risk

Abstract

To combat the spread of the coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic, governments were forced to grant expanded powers and responsibilities to police agencies to regulate previously routine, law-abiding behaviors, such as socializing with friends. Policing physical distancing and mask mandates proved particularly challenging for small island economies. Small island developing countries, which represent a diverse group of nations, share common vulnerabilities—such as geographic remoteness, limited economic size, and insularity—that impose significant constraints on enforcing COVID-19 restrictions, including physical distancing and mask mandates. This study explores the relationship between defiant motivational postures and compliance with COVID-19 regulations on physical distancing and mask-wearing. In doing so, we also examine the indirect effects of trust in government and perceived sanction risk. Our findings show that defiant motivational postures have a significant negative impact on compliance with these restrictions. Furthermore, this relationship is partially mediated by trust in government and sanction risk. Notably, the moderating effects of trust in government and sanction risk were found to influence compliance with physical distancing measures but not mask mandates.