Why do people wear a mask?

A replication of previous studies and examination of two research questions in a Japanese sample

Abstract

Wearing masks is an easy and effective way to prevent infection by COVID-19. In Japan, two studies investigated the reasons why people wear a mask; however, the results were inconsistent. Therefore, the present study reexamined the association between mask wearing and the reasons given for doing so, focusing on the differences in and problems of item wording. The results of both studies were found to be almost reproducible, and there were few issues regarding item wording. Furthermore, the results revealed that people wear a mask to prevent themselves and others from infection and to conform to others wearing a mask. We suggest that inconsistencies in the results were due to differences in item wording, and discuss how future research should be conducted.