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Charquero-Ballester M, Walter JG, Rybner AS, Nissen IA, Enevoldsen KC, Bechmann A. Emotions on Twitter as crisis imprint in high-trust societies: Do ambient affiliations affect emotional expression during the pandemic? PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296801. [PMID: 38442085 PMCID: PMC10914277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
During the Covid-19 crisis, citizens turned to Twitter for information seeking, emotional outlet and sense-making of the crisis, creating ad hoc social communities using crisis-specific hashtags. The theory of ambient affiliation posits that the use of hashtags upscales the call to affiliate with the values expressed in the tweet. Given the deep functional tie between values and emotions, hashtag use might further amplify certain emotions. While emotions in crises-hashtagged communities have been previously investigated, the hypothesis of amplification of emotions through hashtag use has not yet been tested. We investigate such effect during the Covid-19 crisis in a scenario of high-trust Nordic societies, focusing on non-hashtagged, crisis hashtagged (e.g., '#Covid-19') and threat hashtagged (e.g., '#misinformation') tweets. To do so we apply XLM-RoBERTa to estimate Anger, Fear, Sadness, Disgust, Joy and Optimism. Our results revealed that crisis-hashtagged (#Covid-19) tweets expressed more negative emotions (Anger, Fear, Disgust and Sadness) and less positive emotions (Optimism and Joy) than non-hashtagged Covid-19 tweets for all countries except Finland. Threat tweets (#misinformation) expressed even more negative emotions (Anger, Fear, Disgust) and less positive emotions (Optimism and Joy) than #Covid-19 tweets, with a particularly large effect for Anger. Our findings provide useful context for previous research on collective emotions during crises, as most Twitter content is not hashtagged, and given the faster spread of emotionally charged content, further support the special focus on specific ad hoc communities for crisis and threat management and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Charquero-Ballester
- Department of Media and Journalism Studies, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jessica Gabriele Walter
- Department of Media and Journalism Studies, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Astrid Sletten Rybner
- Department of Media and Journalism Studies, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ida Anthonj Nissen
- Department of Media and Journalism Studies, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Anja Bechmann
- Department of Media and Journalism Studies, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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2
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Zeng W, Zhao L, Zhao W, Zhang Y. How Information Framing Nudges Acceptance of China's Delayed Retirement Policy: A Moderated Mediation Model of Anchoring Effects and Perceived Fairness. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:45. [PMID: 38247697 PMCID: PMC10813084 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
China's delayed retirement policy will be prudently rolled out at the appropriate time, yet the public's acceptance of this policy is concerning. To address this issue, our endeavor explores the impact of framing and anchoring effects on policy acceptance, aiming to mitigate the populace's resistance to the new policy. We conducted two survey studies on the Chinese population aged 16-65. Achieved through an online survey, Study 1 (N = 225) demonstrated that information framing significantly influences the public's acceptance of the delayed retirement policy. It was found that perceived fairness plays a mediating role between information framing and policy acceptance. Notably, the positive frame had a more pronounced effect on acceptance than its negative counterpart, with the positive presentation being perceived as more fair. Study 2 (N = 383), utilizing a combination of online and offline approaches, revealed that the anchoring effect moderates the relationship between information framing and perceived fairness. The interaction of anchoring and framing effects significantly influences perceived fairness, subsequently promoting public policy acceptance. The interplay between anchoring and framing effects significantly shapes perceived fairness, in turn bolstering the public's receptiveness to policy. These insights offer reasonable communication strategies for the smooth advancement of new policies, further enriching the field of behavioral science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixi Zeng
- Yangtze Delta Region Institute (Huzhou), University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Huzhou 313001, China; (W.Z.)
- School of Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Lixia Zhao
- School of Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Wenlong Zhao
- School of Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Yijing Zhang
- School of Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
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3
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Grelle S, Hofmann W. When and Why Do People Accept Public-Policy Interventions? An Integrative Public-Policy-Acceptance Framework. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:258-279. [PMID: 37470506 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231180580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The successful introduction of public policies to prompt behavior change hinges on the degree to which citizens endorse the proposed policies. Although there is a large body of research on psychological determinants of public policy acceptance, these determinants have not yet been synthesized into an integrative framework that proposes hypotheses about their interplay. In this article, we develop a review-based, integrative public-policy-acceptance framework that introduces the desire for governmental support as a motivational foundation in public-policy acceptance. The framework traces the route from problem awareness to policy acceptance and, ultimately, policy compliance. We propose this relationship to be mediated by a desire for governmental support. We integrate numerous key variables assumed to qualify the relationship between problem awareness and the desire for governmental support, such as control attributions, trust, and value fit, as well as the relationship between the desire for governmental support and policy acceptance, such as perceived policy effectiveness, intrusiveness, and fairness. We exemplify the use of the proposed framework by applying it to climate policies.
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Liu X, Liu Y, Xu Y, Song L, Huang Z, Zhu X, Zhang M. Current status and influencing factors of policy identification in health impact assessment: a case study of Zhejiang Province. Health Res Policy Syst 2023; 21:118. [PMID: 37932791 PMCID: PMC10626660 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-01064-9] [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: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health impact assessment (HIA) is a procedure, method and tool for evaluating the potential health impacts of policies, plans and construction projects, as well as the distribution of these impacts on population. Majority of international studies on health impact assessment have focussed on conceptual papers or case evaluations, neglecting participants' views on policies. METHODS A semi-structured interview with 30 health impact assessment experts was employed in this study, and the Nvivo software was utilized to analyse factors that influence policy identification. Subsequently, a multi-stage stratified random sampling method was adopted to survey 655 pilot staff members involved in health impact assessment in Zhejiang Province. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the current status and identify the factors influencing policy identification. In addition, hierarchical linear regression analysis and structural equation modelling were employed to determine the relationship between policy identification and influencing factors. RESULTS Statistically significant differences were found among participants in the level of identification of policies across three dimensions. The policy sentiment dimension had the highest score (4.137 ± 0.664), followed by policy cognition (4.075 ± 0.632) and policy evaluation (3.631 ± 0.797) dimensions. Subject trust had a positive impact on policy cognition (β = 0.503, P < 0.001), policy sentiment (β = 0.504, P < 0.001) and policy evaluation (β = 0.465, P < 0.001). Procedural justice had a positive impact on policy sentiment (β = 0.085, P < 0.01) and policy evaluation (β = 0.084, P < 0.05), but not policy cognition (β = 0.056, P > 0.05). Policy identification is influenced by age and average monthly salary among other factors. CONCLUSION These results highlight the importance of subjective trust and procedural justice in policy identification of health impact assessment. They provide valuable insights to developing interventions to overcome barriers to the implementation and enhancement of global identification of policies. Going forward, cross-sectoral synergies, enhanced international communication and training to increase participants' trust in the policy should be optimized to improve health impact assessment. Additional measures should be taken, such as ensuring seamless communication channels, embedding health impact assessment in administrative mechanisms, and establishing strong oversight and grievance mechanisms to improve fairness and transparency in the implementation and results of health impact assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Liu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yingzi Liu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yanyun Xu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Liyuan Song
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Ziyue Huang
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Xingyu Zhu
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
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Tang YE, Fan R, Cai AZ, Wang LY, Lin RM, Meng XZ, Chen L, Guo R. Rethinking personal carbon trading (PCT) mechanism: A comprehensive review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118478. [PMID: 37393876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The implementation of Personal Carbon Trading (PCT) holds promise in facilitating a noteworthy contribution towards the attainment of emissions reduction predicated on consumption patterns and consequently motivating lifestyle modifications. As individual consumption behaviors usually lead to continuous changes in carbon emissions, it is crucial to rethink PCT from a systematic perspective. This review employed a bibliometric analysis of 1423 papers related to PCT, highlighting the key themes of carbon emissions from energy consumption, climate change, and public opinion on policies in the context of PCT. Most of the existing PCT researches focus on theoretical assumptions and public attitudes, while the quantification of carbon emissions and simulation of PCT require further investigation. Furthermore, the concept of Tan Pu Hui is seldom addressed in PCT studies and case analyses. Moreover, there are limited PCT schemes worldwide that can be directly implemented in practice, leading to a scarcity of large-scale, high-participation case studies. To address these gaps, this review proposes a framework to clarify how PCT can stimulate individual emission reductions on the consumption side, comprising two phases, from motivation to behavior and behavior to target. Future endeavors should prioritize the enhancement of the systematic study of the theoretical foundation of PCT, encompassing carbon emissions accounting and policy design, the incorporation of cutting-edge technology, and the reinforcement of integrated policy practice. This review serves as a valuable reference for future research endeavors and policymaking efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-En Tang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Ru Fan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Ang-Zu Cai
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Le-Yi Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Rui-Min Lin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiang-Zhou Meng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200092, China; Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute, 1994 Linggongtang Road, Jiaxing, 314051, Zhejiang Province, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Ling Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Ru Guo
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200092, China; Key Laboratory of Cities Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change in Shanghai, Shanghai, 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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6
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Gao L, Jiang J, He H, Zhou Q, Wang S, Li J. Uncertainty or trust? Political trust, perceived uncertainty and public acceptance of personal carbon trading policy. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2022; 44:3157-3171. [PMID: 35129706 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-022-01214-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Achieving carbon neutrality has become a global consensus, and plenty of measures and policies have been proposed in various industries to obtain this ambitious goal. As an innovative and radical environmental policy tool, personal carbon trading (PCT) policy which aims to reduce carbon emissions from the private consumption sector has aroused the attention. For a new policy tool, public support and acceptance is critical to obtain policy legitimacy and policy implementation. To implement PCT policy smoothly, the current research aims to explore the antecedents of public acceptance. From the emotional reaction perspective, this research mainly evaluated how political trust, perceived uncertainty and associated emotions matter for public acceptance of PCT policy. Based on the survey data, this research revealed that political trust has a direct positive impact on public acceptance of PCT policy. Meanwhile, political trust also has an indirect impact on public acceptance of PCT policy via emotions. Specifically, political trust is positively associated with positive emotions and negatively associated with negative emotions. Positive emotions promote public to accept PCT policy, while negative emotions inhibit public to accept PCT policy. The negative emotions exert a more powerful impact on public acceptance than positive emotions. Additionally, we found that perceived uncertainty exerts a negative effect on public acceptance and negatively regulates the relationship between political trust and public acceptance. That is, perceived uncertainty has a significant substitution effect on political trust. According to the research findings, policy implications to improve public acceptance of PCT policy were explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Gao
- School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Jiang
- School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Haonan He
- School of Economics and Management, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710064, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qi Zhou
- School of Economics and Management, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710064, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanyong Wang
- School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Economics, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
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7
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Escario JJ, Rodriguez-Sanchez C, Valero-Gil J, Casaló LV. COVID-19 related policies: The role of environmental concern in understanding citizens' preferences. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 211:113082. [PMID: 35300963 PMCID: PMC8920115 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented health and economic crisis worldwide. Many governments of the world have accelerated an adoption of public policies to address this crisis; however, a trade-off between the economy and public health exists. Previous studies in this area have mainly focused on the impact of COVID-19 on human life and the environment. This work adds to the literature by analyzing how individual environmental concern can affect citizens' preferences for public policies that deal with COVID-19. A data set of 26,131 participants from 26 countries was used to test the research model. Results indicate that environmental concern is positively associated with a preference for long-term oriented altruistic policies, and it shapes the relationship between economic and health problems at the country level on our dependent variable. Specifically, as the level of environmental concern increases, the negative effect of COVID-19's economic problems on the preference for long-term altruistic policies is diminished. In turn, in the case of health problems, the impact on the preference for long-term altruistic policies increases as environmental concern increases. Also, both individual-level and country-level characteristics affect citizens' preferences for policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- José-Julián Escario
- Faculty of Business and Public Management, University of Zaragoza (Spain), Facultad de Empresa y Gestión Pública, Plaza de La Constitución, S/n, 22001, Huesca, Spain.
| | - Carla Rodriguez-Sanchez
- Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, University of Alicante (Spain), Carretera San Vicente Del Raspeig S/n, 03690, San Vicente Del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Jesus Valero-Gil
- Department of Management and CIRCE Institute, University of Zaragoza (Spain), Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Gran Vía 2, 50005, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Luis V Casaló
- Faculty of Business and Public Management, University of Zaragoza (Spain), Facultad de Empresa y Gestión Pública, Plaza de La Constitución, S/n, 22001, Huesca, Spain.
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8
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Zhou B, Miao R, Jiang D, Zhang L. Can people hear others' crying?: A computational analysis of help-seeking on Weibo during COVID-19 outbreak in China. Inf Process Manag 2022; 59:102997. [PMID: 35757511 PMCID: PMC9212758 DOI: 10.1016/j.ipm.2022.102997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Social media like Weibo has become an important platform for people to ask for help during COVID-19 pandemic. Using a complete dataset of help-seeking posts on Weibo during the COVID-19 outbreak in China (N=3,705,188), this study mapped their characteristics and analyzed their relationship with the epidemic development at the aggregate level, and examined the influential factors to determine whether and the extent the help-seeking crying could be heard at the individual level using computational methods for the first time. It finds that the number of help-seeking posts on Weibo has a Granger causality relationship with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases with a time lag of eight days. This study then proposes a 3C framework to examine the direct influence of content, context, and connection on the responses (measured by retweets and comments) and assistance that help-seekers might receive as well as their indirect effects on assistance through the mediation of both retweets and comments. The differential influences of content (theme and negative sentiment), context (Super topic community, spatial location of posting, and the period of sending time), and connection (the number of followers, whether mentioning others, and verified status of authors and sharers) have been reported and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baohua Zhou
- Center for Information and Communication Studies, Fudan University.,MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, 400 Guoding Road, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Rong Miao
- Journalism School, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.,MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, 400 Guoding Road, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Danting Jiang
- Journalism School, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.,MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, 400 Guoding Road, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Lingyun Zhang
- Journalism School, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.,MOE Laboratory for National Development and Intelligent Governance, Fudan University, 400 Guoding Road, Shanghai, P. R. China
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9
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Shi G, Zhong X, He W, Liu H, Liu X, Ma M. Factors influencing protective behavior in the post-COVID-19 period in China: a cross-sectional study. Environ Health Prev Med 2021; 26:95. [PMID: 34556043 PMCID: PMC8459581 DOI: 10.1186/s12199-021-01015-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study aimed to explore the factors influencing protective behavior and its association with factors during the post-COVID-19 period in China based on the risk perception emotion model and the protective action decision model (PADM). METHODS A total of 2830 valid questionnaires were collected as data for empirical analysis via network sampling in China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to explore the relationships between the latent variables. RESULTS SEM indicated that social emotion significantly positively affected protective behavior and intention. Protective behavioral intention had significant direct effects on protective behavior, and the direct effects were also the largest. Government trust did not have a significant effect on protective behavior but did have a significant indirect effect. Moreover, it was found that government trust had the greatest direct effect on social emotion. In addition, we found that excessive risk perception level may directly reduce people's intention and frequency of engaging in protective behavior, which was not conducive to positive, protective behavior. CONCLUSION In the post-COVID-19 period, theoretical framework constructed in this study can be used to evaluate people's protective behavior. The government should strengthen its information-sharing and interaction with the public, enhance people's trust in the government, create a positive social mood, appropriately regulate people's risk perception, and, finally, maintain a positive attitude and intent of protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiqian Shi
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoni Zhong
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. .,Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. .,Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Wei He
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mingzhu Ma
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Innovation Center for Social Risk Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Hooks T, Schuitema G, McDermott F. Risk Perceptions Toward Drinking Water Quality Among Private Well Owners in Ireland: The Illusion of Control. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2019; 39:1741-1754. [PMID: 30759329 DOI: 10.1111/risa.13283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In rural areas where no public or group water schemes exist, groundwater is often the only source of drinking water and is extracted by drilling private wells. Typically, private well owners are responsible for the quality and testing of their own drinking water. Previous studies indicate that well owners tend to underestimate the risks of their well water being contaminated, yet little is known about why this is the case. We conducted a qualitative study by interviewing private well owners in Ireland to investigate their beliefs surrounding their water quality, which, in turn, inform their risk perceptions and their willingness to regularly test their water. Based on our findings we designed a theoretical model arguing that perceived control is central in the perceived contamination risks of well water. More specifically, we argue that well owners have the illusion of being in control over their water quality, which implies that people often perceive themselves to be more in control of a situation than they actually are. As a result, they tend to underestimate contamination risks, which subsequently impact negatively on water testing behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Hooks
- School of Business, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Geertje Schuitema
- School of Business, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Frank McDermott
- School of Earth Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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