Despite the coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania surpassing the numbers from the outbreak’s first wave in April, many people are continuing to engage in risky behavior, including meeting up with friends indoors and making plans to attend big family gatherings for Thanksgiving, writes Bethany Ao for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Among the reasons for this kind of behavior, according to psychologists, is the fatigue people are feeling after months of not being able to socialize.

“People have limited mental resources for self-control,” said Melissa Auerbach, an assistant professor in psychology at Temple University. “We have all of these factors depleting self-control, like the recession, the pandemic, and not being able to socialize like we used to.”

Another reason is that people have by now been through more times where they have taken a risk without getting sick. This lived experience overpowers hearing any second hand information on the possibility of getting sick or infecting others, according to Elizabeth Gosch, a psychology professor at the Philadelphia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

In addition, said Gosch, after months of the pandemic, many people are losing their fear.

Read more about the reasons for risky behavior at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.