How Does Social Class Affect Need for Structure during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Moderated Mediating Model Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic is profoundly affecting the minds and behaviors of people worldwide. This study investigated the differences in the need for structure among people from different social classes and the psychological mechanisms underlying this need, as well as the moderating effect of the threat posed by the pandemic. Using data collected from non-student adults in China, we found that the lower an individual's social class, the lower their need for structure, and this effect was based on the mediating role of perceived control. However, the mediating effect was moderated by pandemic threat, and the above relationship existed only when this threat was low. When the level of pandemic threat was higher, neither the effect of social class nor of perceived control on the need for structure were significant. Specifically, in higher-threat situations, the need for structure among individuals from higher social classes and who had a higher sense of control increased significantly, meaning the mediating effect was no longer significant. This finding showed that under the threat of a pandemic, individuals who have a lower need for structure will still pursue and prefer structure and order. The theoretical and practical implications of the research are also discussed.

Differential effects of traditional and social media use on COVID-19 preventive behaviors: The mediating role of risk and efficacy perceptions.

The study explored how traditional and social media use produced various cognitive responses toward COVID-19, including perceived severity, susceptibility, and efficacy, and direct and indirect facilitation of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. We tested the hypotheses on data collected from 433 university students in Wuhan, China, using structural equation modeling. We found that traditional media enhanced engagement for preventive behaviors both directly and indirectly by enhancing perceived severity and efficacy, whereas social media showed no impact on preventive behaviors, either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, the direct effect of traditional media on preventive behaviors was markedly stronger than the indirect effect through perceptions.