突发公共事件中公众的补偿性控制

Compensatory control in public emergencies

补偿性控制理论指出,当面临控制感的缺乏时,个体会表现出一种需求秩序的倾向,即努力寻求客观世界的秩序,对于具有秩序性、确定性、可预测性的物理或抽象事物表现出偏好与需求,这种表现被称为补偿性控制。基于突发公共事件常会引发人们控制感暂时的下降,补偿性控制理论的视角可以用来解释个体在突发公共事件中的一系列典型心理反应。如阴谋论信念、谣言传播、道德争论和非理性囤积,都可以从补偿性控制与秩序需求的角度来加以理解。未来研究可以更多考虑从补偿性控制的角度探讨突发公共事件中的公众心理反应,并基于此视角加强理论深化、研究细化和实践干预。

Compensatory control theory holds that when individuals are threatened by lack of control,they tend to seek the order and structure of the world,and show preference and demand for order,certainty and predictability in their social,physical,and metaphysical environments,which is named as compensatory control.Since public emergencies often lead to a threat to people’s sense of control,the perspective of compensatory control can be used to explain a series of psychological reactions of individuals in public emergencies.Based on the compensatory control theory,the present article analyzes four typical responses(belief in conspiracy theories,spreading misinformation,focusing on moral judgment and irrational hoarding)of people in public emergencies and discusses the order-seeking mechanism behind them.We suggest that in future studies,people’s psychological and behavioral responses in public emergencies can be further explored from the perspective of compensatory control.In addition,the future research should go deeply to explore this issue in theoretical,empirical and practical aspects.