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Short Abstract

This talk discusses how psychologically informed design of citizen involvement in surveillance enhances pandemic preparedness. It explores how experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness foster motivation and emotional resilience, bridging science and society through participatory engagement.

Abstract

In this contribution, we discuss how psychologically informed design principles may transform citizen involvement in infectious disease surveillance from a data-collection tool into an opportunity for learning, empowerment, and building bridges between science and society.

Psychological theory, and Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) in particular, can help practitioners design participatory disease surveillance initiatives that fulfill the basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Such psychologically informed design can foster intrinsic motivation for engagement with science, which may in turn promote adaptive behaviors and psychological resilience when facing uncertainty. Concretely, competence is supported when citizens receive adequate guidance, feedback, and recognition, enabling them to perceive their contributions as effective and valued. Autonomy is strengthened through voluntary participation, transparent communication, and opportunities for co-creation, which enhance ownership. Relatedness is fostered by creating collaborative and respectful relationships between citizens and scientists, promoting identification with the scientific community and trust in public health measures.

Leveraging Self-Determination Theory for effective pandemic-related citizen science, we bridge motivational psychology, health education, and public health. We highlight that satisfying basic psychological needs within participatory surveillance initiatives can increase both scientific literacy and emotional resilience through more intrinsically motivated citizen engagement. This in turn can foster more equitable and trustworthy relationships between citizens and institutions and turn citizen involvement from a tool for surveillance to a pathway toward a more scientifically engaged and literate, as well as resilient society.