Researchers from Indonesia in collaboration with international teams have developed an online test tool to estimate a person’s risk to contract and transmit the coronavirus. The online test was made based on the Science of Behavioral Change which is a branch of Psychology.
Triana Kesuma Dewi, Health Psychology Lecturer and Researcher, Faculty of Psychology (F.Psi), Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), which is affiliated with a research group from Indonesia, explained that the test equipment was different from the existing test tool.
“We made this tool based on the Reasoned Action Approach (Fishbein & AJzen, 2010). So it does not only see the behaviours displayed but also considers what factors influence the behaviour, making it possible to identify what interventions are relevant to enhance the expected protective behaviour,” he explained.
Users of the test will know risk estimation of them being infected or transmitting the coronavirus. The estimation is measured from three risk factors : maintaining hand hygiene; maintaining a safe distance (social distancing) in public places, and staying at home or avoiding crowds.
Triana said the idea of an online test tool was originally by Gjalt-Jorn Peters from Open University and Sylvia Roozen from Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
The test result data will be published in an open access repository so that it can be accessed by anyone.
This online detection tool was first launched in the Netherlands on May 7, 2020. The tool has been translated into 27 languages and launched in various countries in the world.
“Hopefully, this test tool can provide recommendations in understanding the protective behaviour related to COVID-19, the causing factors of the behaviour, and what approaches are relevant for changing the behaviour. Thus, we hope it can provide recommendations for the government and health organizations to make policies and public information relevant,” she concluded.
Besides Triana, several researchers from Indonesia who were involved were Astin Sokang, PhD (UKRIDA); Sali Rahadi Asih, PhD (UI); Andrian Liem, PhD (University of Macau); and Ratri Nurwanti, M.Psi, psychologist (Universitas Brawijaya).