“We Still Know What You Did During the Pandemic”: The Association Between Fear of COVID-19 and Preventive COVID-19 Behaviors

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a sense of fear among many people around the world. While the effects of fear of COVID-19 on mental health have been studied intensively, its consequences on preventive health behavior have not. The current study aims to address this research gap by investigating the effects of fear of COVID-19 on preventive COVID-19 behaviors. Using an online survey involving 400 respondents in Indonesia, the one-way MANOVA analysis results provide initial empirical support that fear of COVID-19 has positive influences on the four dimensions of preventive COVID-19 behaviors (Complying Behavior; Updating and Staying Fit; Preventing and Anticipating Behavior; and Avoiding and Minimizing Risks). The higher the fear, the higher the preventive behavior