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Corradi G, Aguilar P, Aguiar F, Olivera-La Rosa A. Age and moral disgust: An experimental priming effects vignette study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0295039. [PMID: 38349927 PMCID: PMC10863895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Guido Corradi
- Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Madrid, Spain
- BEATLES Research Group, University of Balearic Islands, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Pilar Aguilar
- Department of Social Psychology, College of Psychology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Olivera-La Rosa
- Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, Universidad Católica Luis Amigó, Medellín, Colombia
- Human Evolution and Cognition Group, Associated Group to IFISC (University of the Balearic Islands – CSIC), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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2
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Ingram GPD, Chuquichambi EG, Jimenez-Leal W, Rosa AOL. In masks we trust: explicit and implicit reactions to masked faces vary by political orientation. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:68. [PMID: 38347648 PMCID: PMC10863087 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01556-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous studies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic indicated that wearing a medical-style mask affects whether a stranger's face is judged as more trustworthy, socially desirable, or likely to be ill. However, given political controversies around mask use, these effects might vary by political orientation. In a pre-registered online experiment, we measured evaluations of trustworthiness, social desirability and perceived illness in masked and unmasked faces by 1241 British and US participants. We included questions on political orientation, along with the implicit online-VAAST approach/avoid task to test reaction times to masked/unmasked faces. There was a medium-sized effect of masks on trustworthiness and a significant interaction with political orientation, in that conservatives found masked faces less trustworthy than did liberals. Participants were quicker to approach masked than unmasked faces, but conservatives were relatively slower than liberals. The effects on trustworthiness suggest that differential moralization of novel social norms can affect how their adherents are evaluated in terms of their suitability for social interactions. Furthermore, the congruence between implicit and explicit methods implies that such differences can have deep-seated effects on reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon P D Ingram
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 # 18A-12, 111711, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Erick G Chuquichambi
- Human Cognition and Evolution (EvoCog) Research Group, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
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3
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Ayers JD, Guevara Beltrán D, Van Horn A, Cronk L, Hurmuz-Sklias H, Todd PM, Aktipis A. COVID-19 and friendships: Agreeableness and neuroticism are associated with more concern about COVID-19 and friends' risky behaviors. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023; 213:112297. [PMID: 37324175 PMCID: PMC10258584 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Given the importance of friendships during challenging times and the mixed associations between personality traits and disease-related behaviors, we investigated the correlations between personality traits and perceptions of friendships during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal investigation of the correlations between the pandemic and various cooperative relationships. In this investigation, we found that agreeableness and neuroticism predicted participants being more concerned about COVID-19 and bothered by friends' risky behavior, and extraversion predicted enjoying helping friends during the pandemic. Our results suggest that personality differences are associated with how individuals cope with friends' risky behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D Ayers
- Department of Psychological Science, Boise State University, United States
| | | | - Andrew Van Horn
- Departments of Physics and Art History, Case Western Reserve University, United States
| | - Lee Cronk
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, United States
| | | | - Peter M Todd
- Cognitive Science Program and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, United States
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, United States
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, United States
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4
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Beyazgul B, Koruk İ, Kuzan R. Effect of elderly individuals' perceptions and attitudes toward COVID-19 pandemic on rejecting COVID-19 vaccination. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2079338. [PMID: 35687362 PMCID: PMC9467538 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2079338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the fact that COVID-19 vaccines serve as an important tool for protection against COVID-19 infection, in individuals aged above 65 years, as well as the entire community, there are significant problems associated with getting vaccinated. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of perceptions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 epidemic in individuals over the age of 65 living in Şanlıurfa, Turkey in 2021, on the situation of having COVID-19 vaccination. The study is designed as a case-control type of research. The study population was comprised of individuals aged 65 years and above located in Şanlıurfa, Turkey. The Case Group consisted of individuals, who rejected the COVID-19 vaccination and the Control Group consisted of individuals who have received the vaccine. The individuals recruited in the Case and Control Groups were selected by means of the snowball sampling method. The study included a total of 240 individuals including 120 in the Case Group and 120 in the Control Group. Rate of vaccine rejection was higher in individuals who believed that the media exaggerated the pandemic, the disease had low contagiousness, the pandemic was a conspiracy, the environmental pollution had no role in the disease, the domestic measures taken against the epidemic were inadequate, the personal hygiene could not protect from disease, and who did not believe that the disease was inevitable [p < 0.05]. Governments have a lot of responsibilities in providing accurate information about vaccination to people and increasing confidence in the health system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Beyazgul
- Harran University, Medical Faculty, Public Health Department, Şanlıurfa, Turkey
| | - İbrahim Koruk
- Harran University, Medical Faculty, Public Health Department, Şanlıurfa, Turkey
| | - Rüstem Kuzan
- Harran University, Medical Faculty, Public Health Department, Şanlıurfa, Turkey
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5
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Shook NJ, Fitzgerald HN, Oosterhoff B, MacFarland E, Sevi B. Is disgust proneness prospectively associated with influenza vaccine hesitancy and uptake? J Behav Med 2022; 46:54-64. [PMID: 35507238 PMCID: PMC9066988 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-022-00324-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although various demographic and psychosocial factors have been identified as correlates of influenza vaccine hesitancy, factors that promote infectious disease avoidance, such as disgust proneness, have been rarely examined. In two large national U.S. samples (Ns = 475 and 1007), we investigated whether disgust proneness was associated with retrospective accounts of influenza vaccine uptake, influenza vaccine hesitancy, and eventual influenza vaccine uptake, while accounting for demographics and personality. Across both studies, greater age, higher education, working in healthcare, and greater disgust proneness were significantly related to greater likelihood of previously receiving an influenza vaccine. In Study 2, which was a year-long longitudinal project, disgust proneness prospectively predicted influenza vaccine hesitancy and eventual vaccine uptake during the 2020–2021 influenza season. Findings from this project expand our understanding of individual-level factors associated with influenza vaccine hesitancy and uptake, highlighting a psychological factor to be targeted in vaccine hesitancy interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Shook
- University of Connecticut, 231 Glenbrook Road, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
- West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Barış Sevi
- University of Connecticut, 231 Glenbrook Road, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
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6
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Wilmot MP, Ones DS. Agreeableness and Its Consequences: A Quantitative Review of Meta-Analytic Findings. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2022; 26:242-280. [DOI: 10.1177/10888683211073007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Agreeableness impacts people and real-world outcomes. In the most comprehensive quantitative review to date, we summarize results from 142 meta-analyses reporting effects for 275 variables, which represent N > 1.9 million participants from k > 3,900 studies. Arranging variables by their content and type, we use an organizational framework of 16 conceptual categories that presents a detailed account of Agreeableness’ external relations. Overall, the trait has effects in a desirable direction for 93% of variables (grand mean [Formula: see text]). We also review lower order trait evidence for 42 variables from 20 meta-analyses. Using these empirical findings, in tandem with existing theory, we synthesize eight general themes that describe Agreeableness’ characteristic functioning across variables: self-transcendence, contentment, relational investment, teamworking, work investment, lower results emphasis, social norm orientation, and social integration. We conclude by discussing potential boundary conditions of findings, contributions and limitations of our review, and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deniz S. Ones
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, USA
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7
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Tybur JM, Fan L, Jones BC, Holzleitner IJ, Lee AJ, DeBruine LM. Re-evaluating the relationship between pathogen avoidance and preferences for facial symmetry and sexual dimorphism: A registered report. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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8
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Lo Presti S, Mattavelli G, Canessa N, Gianelli C. Risk perception and behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic: Predicting variables of compliance with lockdown measures. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262319. [PMID: 34986209 PMCID: PMC8730439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures to counteract it have highlighted the role of individual differences in evaluating and reacting to emergencies, and the challenges inherent in promoting precautionary behaviours. We aimed to explore the psychological and cognitive factors modulating behaviour and intentions during the national lockdown in Italy. We administered an online questionnaire (N = 244) that included tests for assessing personality traits (Temperament and Character Inventory; Locus of Control of Behaviour) and moral judgment (Moral Foundations Questionnaire), alongside behavioural economics tasks addressing different facets of risk attitude (loss aversion, risk aversion and delay discounting). We then assessed the extent to which individual variations in these dimensions modulated participants' compliance with the lockdown norms. When assessing their joint contribution via multiple regressions, lockdown adherence was mostly predicted by internal locus of control, psycho-economic dimensions suggestive of long-sighted and loss-averse attitudes, as well as personality traits related to cautionary behaviour, such as harm avoidance, and the authority moral concern. These findings show that a multi-domain assessment of the factors underlying personal intentions, and thus driving compliance with government measures, can help predict individuals' actions during health emergencies. This evidence points to factors that should be considered when developing interventions and communication strategies to promote precautionary behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lo Presti
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Mattavelli
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicola Canessa
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Gianelli
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
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9
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Lo Presti S, Mattavelli G, Canessa N, Gianelli C. Psychological precursors of individual differences in COVID-19 lockdown adherence: Moderated-moderation by personality and moral cognition measures. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021; 182:111090. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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10
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Kohút M, Kohútová V, Halama P. Big Five predictors of pandemic-related behavior and emotions in the first and second COVID-19 pandemic wave in Slovakia. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021; 180:110934. [PMID: 34629578 PMCID: PMC8487295 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This study explores the effect of Big Five personality traits on behavioral and emotional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Personality traits of 248 Slovak persons were assessed twice before the pandemic using the Big Five Inventory 2. Behavioral and emotional responses to the pandemic were collected during the first and second pandemic wave (April and September 2020). The results showed a statistically significant decrease in all response domains and in COVID-19 fear between the first and the second pandemic wave, suggesting that psychological adaptation to the pandemic occurred during the interim period. The results identified several meaningful links between the traits and pandemic-related behavior and emotions, especially for neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness. However, the effects of personality were higher for the first pandemic wave, suggesting that these effects vary across time probably because of changes in pandemic perception in the society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Kohút
- Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of Trnava, Hornopotočná 23, 918 43 Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Kohútová
- Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of Trnava, Hornopotočná 23, 918 43 Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Halama
- Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of Trnava, Hornopotočná 23, 918 43 Trnava, Slovakia
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11
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Thiebaut G, Méot A, Witt A, Prokop P, Bonin P. "Touch Me If You Can!": Individual Differences in Disease Avoidance and Social Touch. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 19:14747049211056159. [PMID: 34874187 PMCID: PMC10358415 DOI: 10.1177/14747049211056159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The threat of diseases varies considerably among individuals, and it has been found to be linked to various proactive or reactive behaviors. In the present studies, we investigated the impact of individual differences in the perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) on social touch before (Study 1) or during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (Study 2). We also investigated the influence of personality traits in the covariation between these two dimensions. We found that people who are the most disease-avoidant are also the most reluctant to touching or being touched by others (and this relationship holds when personality traits are taken into account). Interestingly, the association between PVD and social touch increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a few months before. By showing that the fear of contamination has an association with social touch, the findings provide further evidence for the behavioral immune system ( Schaller and Park, 2011), a psychological system acting as a first line of defense against pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtan Thiebaut
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LEAD-CNRS UMR5022, Dijon, France
| | - Alain Méot
- Université Clermont-Auvergne, LAPSCO-CNRS UMR6024, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Arnaud Witt
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LEAD-CNRS UMR5022, Dijon, France
| | - Pavol Prokop
- Department of Environmental Ecology and Landscape Management, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Patrick Bonin
- Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, LEAD-CNRS UMR5022, Dijon, France
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12
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Henderson RK, Schnall S. Disease and Disapproval: COVID-19 Concern is Related to Greater Moral Condemnation. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 19:14747049211021524. [PMID: 34112018 PMCID: PMC10358411 DOI: 10.1177/14747049211021524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior research has indicated that disease threat and disgust are associated with harsher moral condemnation. We investigated the role of a specific, highly salient health concern, namely the spread of the coronavirus, and associated COVID-19 disease, on moral disapproval. We hypothesized that individuals who report greater subjective worry about COVID-19 would be more sensitive to moral transgressions. Across three studies (N = 913), conducted March-May 2020 as the pandemic started to unfold in the United States, we found that individuals who were worried about contracting the infectious disease made harsher moral judgments than those who were relatively less worried. This effect was not restricted to transgressions involving purity, but extended to transgressions involving harm, fairness, authority, and loyalty, and remained when controlling for political orientation. Furthermore, for Studies 1 and 2 the effect also was robust when taking into account the contamination subscale of the Disgust Scale-Revised. These findings add to the growing literature that concrete threats to health can play a role in abstract moral considerations, supporting the notion that judgments of wrongdoing are not based on rational thought alone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simone Schnall
- Department of Psychology, 2152University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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13
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Fitzgerald HN, McDonald R, Thomas R, Shook NJ. Disease avoidance: A predictor of sexist attitudes toward females. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-01343-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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14
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Shook NJ, Sevi B, Lee J, Oosterhoff B, Fitzgerald HN. Disease avoidance in the time of COVID-19: The behavioral immune system is associated with concern and preventative health behaviors. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238015. [PMID: 32817714 PMCID: PMC7446877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a serious global health threat. Without a vaccine, behavior change is the most effective means of reducing disease transmission. Identifying psychological factors that may encourage engagement in preventative health behaviors is crucial. The behavioral immune system (BIS) represents a set of psychological processes thought to promote health by encouraging disease avoidance behaviors. This study examined whether individual differences in BIS reactivity (germ aversion, pathogen disgust sensitivity) were associated with concern about COVID-19 and engagement in recommended preventative health behaviors (social distancing, handwashing, cleaning/disinfecting, avoiding touching face, wearing facemasks). From March 20 to 23, 2020, a US national sample (N = 1019) completed an online survey. Germ aversion and pathogen disgust sensitivity were the two variables most consistently associated with COVID-19 concern and preventative health behaviors, while accounting for demographic, health, and psychosocial covariates. Findings have implications for the development of interventions intended to increase preventative health behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J. Shook
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Barış Sevi
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jerin Lee
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
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15
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Pagnini F, Bonanomi A, Tagliabue S, Balconi M, Bertolotti M, Confalonieri E, Di Dio C, Gilli G, Graffigna G, Regalia C, Saita E, Villani D. Knowledge, Concerns, and Behaviors of Individuals During the First Week of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Italy. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e2015821. [PMID: 32706385 PMCID: PMC7382000 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.15821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE At the beginning of a public health crisis, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is important to collect information about people's knowledge, worries, and behaviors to examine their influence on quality of life and to understand individual characteristics associated with these reactions. Such information could help to guide health authorities in providing informed interventions and clear communications. OBJECTIVES To document the initial knowledge about COVID-19 and recommended health behaviors; to assess worries (ie, one's perception of the influence of the worries of others on oneself), social appraisal, and preventive behaviors, comparing respondents from areas under different movement restrictions during the first week after the outbreak; and to understand how worries, perceived risk, and preventive behaviors were associated with quality of life and individual characteristics among Italian adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This convenience sample, nonprobablistic survey study recruited adult participants with a snowballing sampling method in any Italian region during the first week of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy from February 26, 2020, to March 4, 2020. Data were analyzed from March 5 to 12, 2020. EXPOSURES Information was collected from citizens living in the quarantine zone (ie, red zone), area with restricted movements (ie, yellow zone), and COVID-19-free regions (ie, green zone). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Levels of knowledge on the virus, contagion-related worries, social appraisal, and preventive behaviors were assessed with ratings of quality of life (measured using the Short Form Health Survey). Additionally, some individual characteristics that may be associated with worries and behaviors were assessed, including demographic characteristics, personality traits (measured using Big Five Inventory-10), perceived health control (measured using the internal control measure in the Health Locus of Control scale), optimism (measured using the Revised Life Orientation Test), and the need for cognitive closure (measured using the Need for Closure Scale). RESULTS A total of 3109 individuals accessed the online questionnaire, and 2886 individuals responded to the questionnaire at least partially (mean [SD] age, 30.7 [13.2] years; 2203 [76.3%] women). Most participants were well informed about the virus characteristics and suggested behaviors, with a mean (SD) score of 77.4% (17.3%) correct answers. Quality of life was similar across the 3 zones (effect size = 0.02), but mental health was negatively associated with contagion-related worries (β = -0.066), social appraisal (β = -0.221), and preventive behaviors (β = -0.066) in the yellow zone (R2 = 0.108). Social appraisal was also associated with reduced psychological well-being in the green zone (β = -0.205; R2 = 0.121). In the yellow zone, higher worries were negatively correlated with emotional stability (β = -0.165; R2 = 0.047). Emotional stability was also negatively associated with perceived susceptibility in the yellow (β = -0.108; R2 = 0.040) and green (β = -0.170; R2 = 0.087) zones. Preventative behaviors and social appraisal were also associated with the need for cognitive closure in both yellow (preventive behavior: β = 0.110; R2 = 0.023; social appraisal β = 0.115; R2 = 0.104) and green (preventive behavior: β = 0.174; R2 = 0.022; social appraisal: 0.261; R2 = 0.137) zones. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that during the first week of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, people were well informed and had a relatively stable level of worries. Quality of life did not vary across the areas, although mental well-being was challenged by the social appraisal and worries related to the contagion. Increased scores for worries and concerns were associated with more cognitive rigidity and emotional instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Pagnini
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Andrea Bonanomi
- Department of Statistical Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy"
| | - Semira Tagliabue
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Balconi
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Bertolotti
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Cinzia Di Dio
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Gilli
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Guendalina Graffigna
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- EngageMinds HUB, Consumer, Food & Health Engagement Research Center, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Camillo Regalia
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Saita
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Villani
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
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16
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Olivera-La Rosa A, Chuquichambi EG, Ingram GPD. Keep your (social) distance: Pathogen concerns and social perception in the time of COVID-19. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020; 166:110200. [PMID: 32834278 PMCID: PMC7296322 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that individual differences in pathogen disgust sensitivity and social anxiety predict avoidance behavior, especially of pathogen cues, and reduced tolerance for social ambiguity. Conversely, generalized social trust is associated with approach behavior and a greater tolerance for social ambiguity. We conducted an online study (N = 1078) to test these predictions in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Specifically, we assessed whether individual differences in pathogen disgust sensitivity, social anxiety and generalized social trust predicted judgments of trustworthiness, desired social distance and perceptions of sickness of target faces wearing surgical masks. Our results showed that (a) high sensitivity to pathogen disgust predicted lower judgments of trustworthiness and lower social desirability; (b) high social anxiety predicted higher perceptions of illness and lower judgments of trustworthiness; and (c) generalized social trust predicted higher judgments of trustworthiness and lower perceptions of illness of target faces. Further, we found that mask wearers were perceived as more likely to be ill, more trustworthy and more socially desirable than the same faces presented to a control group, without the surgical mask superimposed. Results are discussed in terms of perceived compliance with an emerging social norm overriding the intrinsic untrustworthiness of masked faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Olivera-La Rosa
- Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, Universidad Católica Luis Amigó, Transversal 514A #67B 90, Medellín, Colombia.,Human Evolution and Cognition Group, associated group to IFISC (University of the Balearic Islands - CSIC), Carr. de Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Erick G Chuquichambi
- Human Evolution and Cognition Group, associated group to IFISC (University of the Balearic Islands - CSIC), Carr. de Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Gordon P D Ingram
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Los Andes, Cra. 1 #18a-12, Bogotá, Colombia
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Kerry N, Airington Z, Murray DR. Cultures of Fear: Individual Differences in Perception of Physical (but Not Disease) Threats Predict Cultural Neophobia in both Immigrant and Mainstream Americans. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-020-00238-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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