Coronavirus: Psychologist explains why New Zealand's psyche may help us beat COVID-19

A leading psychologist says our national psyche of the 'little guy beating the big guys' may actually help us stay the course and eliminate COVID-19.

New Zealand is one of the only countries in the world trying to completely get rid of the virus without a vaccine.

The best-case scenario for most countries is reducing deaths, but here in New Zealand we're aiming to eradicate.

"We are determined to make sure that we stamp out COVID-19," says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Dougal Sutherland, from Victoria University's School of Psychology, says: "I think it taps into, like, we're this little country that could - we can do stuff that nobody else can."

Stuff like women winning the right to vote before anyone else, making it to the top of world's tallest mountain before anyone else, and going nuclear-free when most were too scared to.

We seem to aim for eradication when others don't. In 2017 we became the only country in the world to try and get rid of the cattle disease Mycoplasma Bovis.

"I think there's something in that for us as a nation that gives us a sense of we're special and we're unique and if we all pull together we can really achieve something," says Sutherland.

Sutherland says feeling like we're trailblazing could help us stay the course and beat the virus.

It's going so well, the rest of the world is starting to take notice and Sutherland says country-by-country comparisons could turn into a helpful competition for some people.

"It is I think something that I think we could tap into just for the next few weeks to get us through this final phase," he says.

Our difference from the rest of the world, helping us unite against COVID-19.

"We are trying to do what is right for New Zealand," Ardern says. "And so that means that our approach might be different to others, but we stand by that."

Maybe this time we're not the underdog.