Charlotte Segal, Ny Thomas, Jeffrey Varrone, Nicole Morris, Molly Nochimson

Mask-wearing and social distancing adherence is essential to preventing the spread of COVID-19 (Rader et al., 2021). The “Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing,” or SoMad Project, is a national observational study aimed at monitoring adherence to these health behaviors, accounting for demographics. Based on our group’s observations of the Muhlenberg community, following these measures has been inconsistent, and this reflects the general population. We hypothesize that, through the lens of social learning theory, there will be gender differences in adherence to mask wearing and social distancing. We also hypothesize that mean levels of adherence to these health behaviors will change over time.