Abstract
Which factors can predict that someone complies with Covid-19 sanitary measures, like wearing masks or staying under lockdown? This paper investigates agents’ precautionary attitudes through the declared degree of support for the precautionary principle. The latter is particularly relevant for the situations faced with Covid-19, as it states that, in the face of possible significant harm, measures should be taken even if causal relationships have not been scientifically fully established. We administered a web survey on a representative sample (N=1154) of the French population in May 2020. The results show, also when controlled by risk aversion, that adherence to the PP is positively correlated with compliance with each of the six considered sanitary measures.