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Stout ME, Medlin AR, Gupta R, Tsotsoros CE. Time Perspective and Perceived Social Isolation: The Role of Social Interaction Anxiety. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:1736. [PMID: 39273761 PMCID: PMC11395117 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12171736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Time perspective is a theoretical construct that describes how humans perceive time, which can influence decision-making and subsequent behavior. Research has shown that an individual's dominant time perspective can be linked to increased risk of poor health. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between time perspective and perceived social isolation. Specifically, we examined the role of social interaction anxiety in the relationship between time perspective and perceived social isolation in a normative sample of college-aged individuals. Undergraduates (n = 1780) at a large midwestern university completed an online survey. Results revealed that future-oriented, past-positive, and present-hedonistic time perspectives were significantly negatively associated with perceived social isolation. In contrast, past-negative was positively associated with perceived social isolation, and these relationships were partially explained by social interaction anxiety. Understanding dominant time perspectives can help us to better assess health risk factors and may help to develop interventions to promote healthy behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison E Stout
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
- Center for Health Information and Communication, Health Systems Research, Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Austin R Medlin
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
- Department of Health & Wellness Design, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Ritu Gupta
- HRM & Organizational Behaviour, Indian Institute of Management Raipur, Raipur 492001, India
| | - Cindy E Tsotsoros
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
- Ryan Research of Neuroscience, Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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Nowakowska I, Jelonkiewicz I. The Mediational Role of Future and Past Time Perspectives in the Relationship Between Negative Affectivity and Sense of Coherence. Psychol Rep 2024; 127:1864-1885. [PMID: 36476093 DOI: 10.1177/00332941221144607] [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] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Sense of coherence (SoC) can promote positive coping, and one of its most prominent negative correlates is negative affectivity (NA). In the current study, we hypothesized that future and past time perspectives (TPs) will mediate the relationship between sense of coherence and negative affectivity, and the inverse relationship. The study was questionnaire-based, performed online. N = 719 participants aged 25-45 from the general Polish population took part. On the correlation level, NA was negatively related to future and past positive TPs, and positively to past negative TP. Future and past positive TPs were positively related to SoC, whereas the past negative TP was related negatively to SoC. Future and past TPs partially mediated the effect of NA on SoC. The indirect effect was the strongest for past negative TP and very weak for future and past positive TPs. The full model accounted for 52.9% of variance in SoC. Only past negative TP mediated the relationship between SoC and NA. The full model accounted for 29.8% of variance in NA. The results may serve as an inspiration to integrate time perspective aspects within the salutogenic approaches to understanding human behavior and psychological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Nowakowska
- The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Institute of Psychology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Irena Jelonkiewicz
- The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Institute of Psychology, Warsaw, Poland
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Parrello S, Postiglione J, Sica LS, De Rosa B, Parola A, Regnoli GM, Fenizia E, Sommantico M. Italian university students' future time perspective and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1404952. [PMID: 39114590 PMCID: PMC11304507 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1404952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, young adults worldwide showed signs of distress as they were affected in their specific developmental tasks, including the construction of personal and professional futures. Methods The present study aimed to assess the situational future time perspective of Italian university students during the second pandemic wave, as measured by an ad hoc constructed instrument, to explore its interaction with some dispositional traits relevant in future construction, such as optimism, sense of life, aggression, and dispositional future time perspective, and to test their effect on psychological well-being. The total sample consisted of 389 subjects (18-35 years, M = 23.5, SD = 4.4). Results and discussion The results indicated that the pandemic experience, assessed by surveying specific indicators, negatively affected the future time perspective of students, particularly those dispositionally optimistic and convinced that life has meaning. However, awareness of the negative impact that the pandemic brought to the vision of the future seems to have dampened the levels of depression and stress, while anxiety was found to be related only to dispositional traits. The results also suggested the need for educational and economic policies that help young adults develop confidence in the future and in their ability to build it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santa Parrello
- Department of Humanities, Section of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
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Nowakowska I, Pozzi M. Volunteering intentions during social crises: The role of considering the welfare of others and consequences of own behavior. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2024; 246:104289. [PMID: 38670039 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104289] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In the current paper, we investigate how people with experience with volunteering in their lifetime intend to engage in hypothetical crisis volunteering in the future. We took into account two types of hypothetical social crises: a pandemic and a refugee crisis. We suggest that individual differences in considering the welfare of others (social value orientation) and consideration of future/immediate consequences play a role in the volunteer responses to crises. We also control for the willingness to volunteer in the proximal (a month) and distal (3 years) future, gender, age, and length of volunteer experience. We conducted two survey-based online studies in October 2023. We recruited N = 287 people for Study 1 (Poland) and N = 231 for Study 2 (Italy). Our results suggested that people who declare they want to remain volunteers intend to engage during social crises, but not necessarily in a proactive way. Furthermore, consideration of future consequences can result in proactivity, which was especially visible in the Italian sample. Consideration of immediate consequences can have twofold correlates - one might be the engagement in volunteering in case of a sudden emergency or refraining from the voluntary activity. These results can be used by people leading volunteer activities to predict what to expect from their volunteers and plan the volunteer recruitment and retention processes during crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Nowakowska
- The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Institute of Psychology, Poland
| | - Maura Pozzi
- Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Department of Psychology, Italy; Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Brescia, CERISVICO Research Centre on Community Development and Organisational Quality of Life, Italy
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Jasielska D, Rajchert J, Nowakowska I. The importance of trust and altruistic social orientation for COVID-19 distress. CURRENT ISSUES IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 12:132-139. [PMID: 38807699 PMCID: PMC11129043 DOI: 10.5114/cipp/173037] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest global health crisis in decades, has been a difficult experience for nations all over the world. In the present study we wanted to assess to what extent a positive attitude towards others, expressed in altruistic social orientation and a high level of trust, would be linked to lower levels of COVID-19 distress in infected and non-infected individuals. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE A total 405 individuals (180 women, 44%), aged 18-60 (M = 38.91, SD = 11.02) participated in the study. Respondents were recruited by a research platform. The following questionnaires were completed: the Subjective Happiness Scale, Generalized Trust Scale, survey about COVID-19, social value orientations. RESULTS The analysis showed that in non-infected high trustors the relationship between altruistic social orientation and COVID-19 distress was significant - the more they were willing to benefit others, the less distress they felt. The reverse effect was observed for infected high trustors - the more altruistic social orientation they expressed, the higher the level of COVID-19 distress they declared. CONCLUSIONS Our findings shed some light on the importance of a positive attitude towards others in assessing the emotional outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also imply that people who have experienced the COVID-19 disease can suffer from distress differently than people who have not been affected.
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Jasielska D, Rajchert J, Nowakowska I. Belief in the importance of socially responsible behaviors - the significance of trust and personal experiences with Covid-19. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 42:1-6. [PMID: 35600261 PMCID: PMC9105589 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03154-3] [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] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A vast number of studies have shown that trust is related to socially desirable traits and behaviors. In the present research we have investigated the relationship between generalized trust and beliefs about the importance of socially responsible behaviors (SRB) during the pandemic - namely, following the sanitary regime and getting vaccinated. Basing on the previous findings we assumed that trustful people would be more convinced of the benefits of complying with the pandemic restrictions and getting vaccinated. The hypothesis stated that people with high levels of trust who had COVID-19 or whose close persons had been infected would be the most likely to believe in socially responsible behaviors. We recruited 405 people from the general population (age range 18-65) to participate in an online study conducted via a research platform. The analysis using linear regression has shown that people, whose close persons had suffered from COVID-19 were more inclined to believe in the importance of SRB. The level of trust also predicted the beliefs about the importance of socially responsible behaviors in mitigating the pandemic. Trust was positively related to SRB, except for people whose close persons had been infected with COVID-19. Regardless of the level of trust, people with such experience tended to assess SRB as important to combat the pandemic. These results have shed light on the importance of trust in developing the strategy of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Jasielska
- Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Szczęśliwicka 40, 02-353 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Rajchert
- Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Szczęśliwicka 40, 02-353 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Nowakowska
- Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Szczęśliwicka 40, 02-353 Warsaw, Poland
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Nowakowska I. Age, frequency of volunteering, and Present-Hedonistic time perspective predict donating items to people in need, but not money to combat COVID-19 during lock-down. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 42:1-11. [PMID: 34177212 PMCID: PMC8219781 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01993-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Restrictions due to COVID-19 necessitated staying at home, but in some cases, encouraged charitable behavior, e.g., donating items to people in need (e.g., clothes, food), or money to support combatting COVID-19. Drawing on the previous findings regarding helping during disastrous situations and roles of time perspective in helping behaviors, the study tested the predictive value of age, gender, previous volunteering, altruistic social value orientation, and time perspectives of donating items to people in need or money to combat COVID-19. The study is pioneering in terms of including time perspectives as individual differences which might contribute to making donations during COVID-19 circumstances. The study was questionnaire-based and conducted online in the eighth week of social distancing in Poland. 150 young adults (age 18-35) took part in the study. Results of multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that age, frequency of volunteering before the epidemic, and Present-Hedonistic time perspective predict donating items to people in need, but none of the tested variables predicted donating money to combat COVID-19. The findings suggest that charitable behavior, especially in the context of extraordinary social situations, needs to be treated as a multifaceted phenomenon. The study indicates that a Present-Hedonistic time perspective would be a promising individual difference to test in future studies on prosociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Nowakowska
- Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Szczęśliwicka 40, 02-353 Warsaw, Poland
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Üngür G, Karagözoğlu C. Do personality traits have an impact on anxiety levels of athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic? CURRENT ISSUES IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 9:246-257. [PMID: 38013962 PMCID: PMC10658853 DOI: 10.5114/cipp.2021.106138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sports world is one of the sectors most affected by the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Athletes from specific sport disciplines have experienced the new situation in different ways. Therefore, understanding their individual experiences and psychological responses may help to design better intervention programs. Accordingly, this study investigated the relationship between athletes' personality traits and anxiety in the light of their individual experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE The COVID-19 impact questionnaire, Big Five Inventory-35, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to 321 male and 168 female athletes in Turkey from various sport disciplines. At the time of data collection, training and competitions had been canceled in all sports for two months. RESULTS Most athletes (70.7%) were worried about being infected with SARS-CoV-2 if competitions were to restart soon. The regression analyses revealed that emotional stability, extroversion, and age were negative predictors of state anxiety; emotional stability, extroversion, and conscientiousness were negative predictors of trait anxiety; agreeableness was a positive predictor of state anxiety. Athletes who perceived that their relationships with family or close friends worsened during home confinement (17.2%) had significantly higher state anxiety and trait anxiety scores than those who perceived a positive relationship change (28%) or no relationship change (54.8%). The agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability scores of athletes who perceived a negative relationship change with family or close friends were also significantly lower than for athletes who perceived no change or a positive change. CONCLUSIONS Overall, personality traits affected athletes' anxiety levels and their relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gamze Üngür
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey
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Zawadka J, Miękisz A, Nowakowska I, Plewko J, Kochańska M, Haman E. Remote learning among students with and without reading difficulties during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 2021; 26:6973-6994. [PMID: 33935575 PMCID: PMC8068561 DOI: 10.1007/s10639-021-10559-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This article presents the results of a survey on yet under-researched aspects of remote learning and learning difficulties in higher education during the initial stage (March - June 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 2182 students from University of Warsaw in Poland completed a two-part questionnaire regarding academic achievements in the academic year 2019/2020, living conditions and stress related to learning and pandemic, as well as basic demographic information, and Dyslexia Diagnosis Questionnaire (DDQ). The analyses were carried out in three sub-groups of students: who self-reported having a formal diagnosis of dyslexia (CDYS), self-reported reading difficulties, but had no formal diagnosis of dyslexia (SIDYS), and who reported no reading difficulties (CON). The results of the survey revealed that compared with the CON group, more students from CDYS and SIDYS groups did not pass at least one exam in the summer semester. CDYS and SIDYS groups experienced higher stress due to epidemiological restrictions, they had more difficulties than CON with the organisation of learning and obtaining credit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate a need for special consideration of additional support for students experiencing reading difficulties (whether or not they have a formal diagnosis).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Zawadka
- Faculty of Polish Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aneta Miękisz
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Nowakowska
- Institute of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Plewko
- Laboratory of Language Neurobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Ewa Haman
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Merlo EM, Sicari F, Frisone F, Costa G, Alibrandi A, Avena G, Settineri S. Uncertainty, alexithymia, suppression and vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY REPORT 2021; 9:169-179. [PMID: 38084287 PMCID: PMC10501415 DOI: 10.5114/hpr.2021.104078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded to reach many countries, involving healthcare systems facing high numbers of infected patients. The repercussions concern every segment of the population; therefore it is necessary to understand the extent of psychopathological variations. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE 355 subjects aged from 18 to 78 years old (M = 36.51, SD = 13.08) with a prevalence of female subjects (70.3%) were involved in completing the protocol during the early 10 days of lockdown. The module provided for the collection of personal information, such as age, gender, and years of study. The variables considered concerned the administration of the IUS-12, the TAS-20, the PVDQ-15 and the SMQ. Descriptive statistics, correlational and linear regressions analyses were performed in order to highlight significant relationships and dependences among the variables. RESULTS Several relationships emerged with reference to the included variables. In particular, uncertainty and alexithymia proved to be indices with an important predictive role in developing psychopathology. The suppression of disturbing and unknown contents represented a defense for overcoming representations, whose impact proved to be negative in terms of adaptation. The results clarified the general tendencies of the population to cope with anguish due to the lack of knowledge in the first 10 days of lockdown. CONCLUSIONS The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population is evident. The decision to analyze uncertainty, alexithymia and contamination as relevant issues brought the need to analyze a dynamic of conscious suppression of disturbing contents. The results may represent key points to establish interventions.
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