Emotional risk work during the pandemic: Healthcare professionals' perceptions from a COVID-19 ward

In March 2020, COVID-19 wards were established in hospitals in Denmark. Healthcare professionals from a variety of specialities and wards were transferred to these new wards to care for patients admitted with severe COVID-19 infections. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a COVID-19 ward at a hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, including focus group interviews with nursing staff, we intended to explore practices in a COVID-19 ward by seeking insight into the relation between the work carried out and the professionals' ways of talking about it. We used a performative approach of studying how the institutional ways of handling pandemic risk work comes into being and relates to the health professionals' emerging responses. The empirical analysis pointed at emotional responses by the nursing staff providing COVID-19 care as central. To explore these emotional responses we draw on the work of Mary Douglas and Deborah Lupton's concept of the ‘emotion-risk-assemblage'. Our analysis provides insight into how emotions are contextually produced and linked to institutional risk understandings. We show that work in the COVID-19 ward was based on an institutional order that was disrupted during the pandemic, producing significant emotions of insecurity. Although these emotions are structurally produced, they are simultaneously internalised as feelings of incompetence and shame.

Children's Experiences of Death Anxiety and Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic

The aim of this study was to explore children's experience and responses to the Covid-19 pandemic through their illustrations and short narrations. During October 2020 and January 2021 data was collected from thirteen children aged 9–10 years old in a primary school in the North-West of England. Children were asked to draw their thoughts and feelings about the pandemic and to write a short narration to accompany the drawing. Thematic analysis of data revealed that during the pandemic children at this age have an understanding of death, experience death anxiety and are able to use creative expression to facilitate meaning of the impact of lockdown on their lives such as feeling isolated, lonely, sad and bored. Creative expression also facilitated adaptive coping mechanisms derived from being able to spend more time with family. The data on primary school children is part of a larger study which involved surveys and interviews with children aged 12–16 years in secondary schools. AD -, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, UK ;, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, UK

Humor styles predict emotional and behavioral responses to COVID-19

A correlational study (n = 180 adults) in the United States tested the hypothesis that self-directed humor styles predict emotional responses to COVID-19, specifically stress and hopelessness, and in turn predict engagement in protective behaviors. Results from a sequential mediation analysis supported our hypotheses. First, to the extent that people have a self-enhancing humor style they perceived less stress and hopelessness associated with COVID-19 and as a result reported engaging in more protective behaviors. Second, people higher in self-defeating humor style showed the opposite pattern;they perceived more stress and hopelessness due to COVID-19 and thus reported engaging in less protective behaviors. Implications for theory and application are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The hidden part of the iceberg: The impact of social and emotional factors on the links between digital divide and online learning in times of crisis

The COVID 19 crisis has been a sudden, unexpected, and globally encompassing crisis, which had led to a shut-down of all face-to-face teaching, making online learning the only route for continuing with academic studies. Digital resources have therefore become a critical element in learning, deepening the digital divide between students and impacting academic learning and achievements. However, while social-emotional factors have been acknowledged to play a role in learning, including in online learning, coping with the digital divide is still typically viewed as a technological problem, and the role emotions and social resources play in coping with the digital divide, in particular within a global crisis is relatively unexplored. This chapter presents research conducted among 375 undergraduate students from different colleges and universities in Israel during the first COVID outbreak. The research purpose was to examine the impact of emotions, social support and lecturer perception on the links between the digital divide and online learning. The findings indicated that online learning involves technological, social, and emotional aspects that interact in complex ways. Therefore, higher education institutes should consider those aspects and become engaged in finding ways to address them as part of online learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The effects of pandemic-related fear on social connectedness through social media use and self-disclosure

In light of the prolonged period of social distancing and highly mediated communication patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study sought to understand how pandemic-related fear affects social connectedness. Drawing from the Internet-enhanced self-disclosure and fear-eliciting affiliation hypotheses, survey findings from a stratified sample collected among Hong Kong university students (N = 310) revealed that pandemic-related fear positively influences social connectedness not only through self-disclosure but also through the combination of information seeking and self-disclosure. Social interaction, however, does not mediate the relationship between fear and social connectedness on its own. Overall, we argue that fear motivated people to seek information, self-disclose, and articulate connectedness with society. During this process, social media provided an essential ground and self-disclosure proved a viable tool. This study demonstrated that negative emotions aroused in crisis situations might result in constructive behaviors, which is contingent on how people react to mitigate the negative consequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Triple grief cycle of cancelled events: The emotional crisis aftermath

Purpose: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic response is not only devastating nations and economies across the globe but it is also severely disrupting the event industry, with government and health authorities forcing many events to be postponed or cancelled. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prospective attendees' emotional responses to cancelled events. This study draws upon grief cycle theory to articulate different layers of the grief process in the event domain of inquiry. Design/methodology/approach: The National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament was selected as the research context. Taking user-generated messages from Twitter, this study first performed content analysis to organize lexical patterns into categories and higher-order themes based on the grief cycle. It also performed social network analyses using UCINET to illustrate how different grief phases are inter-related. Findings: Results not only point to attendees' self-expression manifested through a continuum of denial, anger, bargaining and acceptance but they also reveal a three-layer hierarchy of grief, namely, event-related, socio-politics-related and crisis-related. The network analysis further illustrates how grief phases are tied into a complex network of grief messages. Originality/value: This study advances the event literature by improving knowledge about attendees' emotional responses to cancelled events. It increases our understanding of the grieving process in the aftermath of COVID-19. The proposed triple grief cycle helps advance the literature by showcasing how voices from prospective attendees represent three pillars of grief hierarchy. The findings also underscore the emotional crisis of the COVID-19 aftermath. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Emotions, governmental trust and support for the restriction of civil liberties during the covid‐19 pandemic

The Covid‐19 pandemic brought unprecedented governmental restrictions to personal and political freedoms. This article investigates individual‐level differences in mass support for the restriction of civil liberties during the first wave of the Covid‐19 pandemic. Employing theories of affect and decision making, it assesses the extent to which different emotional reactions toward the pandemic influenced attitudes toward mobile phone surveillance and the implementation of curfews. We test our hypotheses in five advanced European democracies using panel data which allow us to identify the role of emotions in support for restrictive policies controlling for individual heterogeneity. The results suggest that experiencing fear about Covid‐19 had a strong positive impact on supporting these measures, while hope and anger only played a minimal role. Importantly, the findings indicate that emotions moderate the impact of trust toward the government, a key variable for supporting the restriction of civil liberties during the pandemic. Specifically, experiencing fear was associated with higher acceptance of civil liberty restrictions. Further, experiencing fear substantially decreased the effect of trust in the government, rendering those who lack trust toward the government more supportive of civil liberty restrictions. These findings help us understand the psychological mechanisms that leads citizens to swiftly decide to sacrifice their civil liberties in the light of threat. Further, they offer empirical support for the causal role of affect in political decision‐making.

Gender differences on COVID-19 related anxiety among students

The COVID-19 pandemic creates complex problems and in almost all aspects of life, everyone has been anxious, worried, and panicked about survival. Starting with children, young and old, men and women feel anxious about the threat of COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the differences in anxiety levels between male and female students during the COVID-19 period based on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (Hamilton, 1969). This study used a survey method with a descriptive design. Sampling using accidental sampling, 396 respondents consisted of 99 male and 297 female with age range of 21-23 years was acquired. Data analysis was based on univariate and bivariate analysis using Chi-Square. The results showed that overall respondents were experiencing high levels of anxiety about COVID-19. On the other hand, there was non-significant difference in anxiety levels between male and female students in facing the COVID-19 pandemic;thereby, indicating that gender did not have significant role in emotional reactivity, such as anxiety and fear. Anxiety would arise when there would be environmental pressures that can hinder one's activities of both male and female students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Keeping in touch while sheltering in place: a comparative case study on the complex emotions experienced by older adults when introduced to ICTs and video conferencing services

Currently, COVID-19 poses a threat to the US and the rest of the world, which has created the need for many people to establish physical distance from others. This need for physical distance is perhaps most important for those most vulnerable to COVID-19, which includes the older adult population. Through this time of physical isolation, most people need to keep in touch with each other while sheltering in place. Advances in digital communication have offered new avenues to help people maintain communication, and these advances have made the lives of many easier and more efficient. These new avenues for communication include video conferencing services such as Zoom, Skype, Apple FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and other similar video-based communication services. Although many older adults have reliable access to the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) required for video-based communication, many older adults are not yet skilled in using them. ICT use can be dangerous without the right skills, because ICT use can allow people to become susceptible to forms of digital exploitation and/or abuse. However, it is increasingly becoming both a hazard and a hardship to not use ICTs as life continues to transition online. As is the case with anyone, the older adult population may feel different emotions depending on their past experiences with technology, the digital divide, and ageist beliefs. Although the participants came to this study with rich life experiences, nuanced wisdom, and countless successes in their lives, these emotions are perhaps one of the most significant and harmful barriers that may keep some older adults from participating in the digital world. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the emotions older adults experienced when introduced to ICTs, such as a video conferencing service, and what caused those emotions to manifest. A qualitative multiple-case study was used for data collection and analysis. Through the use of interviews, observation, and document review, this study explored the experiences and emotions of eleven older adults with ICTs, and specifically, video conferencing services. Data analyses included inductive analysis of qualitative data, within-case analysis, and cross-case analysis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The complex role of anxiety in public engagement: Lessons from the COVID-19 crisis for climate communications

Humanity is amid two complex, global, and intersecting crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Given the speed at which COVID-19 has impacted people's lives and disrupted systems worldwide, governments and citizens have rallied together in a rapid and unprecedented collective health response to help limit the spread of this novel virus. In contrast, despite decades of science and associated communication, the climate crisis has received less government action and public engagement. The less substantial response to the climate crisis is likely partly due to differences in the crises' characteristics. Despite these differences, COVID-19 provides an opportunity to critically reflect on the success of public communication and engagement practices related to the pandemic, and lessons that can be applied to address the climate crisis. Importantly, the context of the pandemic is rapidly shifting, and thus lessons learned and their future applicability will also be evolving. By drawing together key concepts from psychology and climate communication literature, combined with our own experiences and reflections as scholars in these fields, this chapter explores how different communication approaches spur different psychological responses and levels of anxiety, and how this has affected public engagement with COVID-19 and climate change respectively. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The Role of Emotional Responses in the VR Exhibition Continued Usage Intention: A Moderated Mediation Model.

During COVID-19, many renowned galleries and art fairs used Virtual Reality (VR) exhibitions for art information dissemination and online displays. To avoid the risks of offline viewing of exhibitions, users can access a web-based VR exhibition platform for remote appreciation of artworks, gaining a rich art experience and thus contributing to physical and mental health. The reasons affecting users' continued usage intentions are not clear enough in the existing studies of VR exhibitions. Therefore, further studies are needed. This paper explores the relationship between users' escapist experience, aesthetic experience, presence, emotional responses, and continued usage intention through a survey of VR exhibition users. The survey data were collected from 543 users who had experienced the VR exhibition through an online survey website. The study results show that users' continued usage intentions are influenced by escapist experience and aesthetic experience. Presence plays a mediating role in the influence of escapist experiences and aesthetic experiences on continued usage intention. Emotional responses play a moderating role in the impact of user experience on continued usage intention. This paper provides a theoretical reference for the study of the impact mechanism of continued usage intention of VR exhibitions from the perspective of mental health. In addition, this study enables VR exhibition platforms to better understand the emotional state of users during art experiences to create and share healthy aesthetic information that can contribute to the management and enhancement of mental health. At the same time, it provides valuable and innovative guidance solutions for the future development of VR exhibitions.

Gender-specific emotional characteristics of crisis communication on social media: Case studies of two public health crises

Understanding the effects of gender-specific emotional responses on information sharing behaviors are of great importance for swift, clear, and accurate public health crisis communication, but remains underexplored. This study fills this gap by investigating gender-specific anxiety- and anger-related emotional responses and their effects on the virality of crisis information by creatively drawing on social role theory, integrated crisis communication modeling, and text mining. The theoretical model is tested using two datasets (Changsheng vaccine crisis with 2,423,074 textual data and COVID-19 pandemic with 893,930 textual data) collected from Weibo, a leading social media platform in China. Females express significantly high anxiety and anger levels (p value<0.001) during the Changsheng fake vaccine crisis, while express significantly higher levels of anxiety during COVID-19 than males (p value<0.001), but not anger (p value=0.13). Regression analysis suggests that the virality of crisis information is significantly strengthened when the level of anger in posts of males is high or the level of anxiety in posts of females is high for both crises. However, such gender-specific virality differences of anger/anxiety expressions are violated once females have large numbers of followers (influencers). Furthermore, the gender-specific emotional effects on crisis information are more significantly enhanced for male influencers than female influencers. This study contributes to the literature on gender-specific emotional characteristics of crisis communication on social media and provides implications for practice.

"Authentic Warmth in These Uncertain Times”: The Impact of Authenticity in COVID-19 Advertising on Brand Warmth and Consumer Responses

This study investigated the impact of the perceived authenticity of brands' COVID-19 advertisements on consumers' perception of brand warmth and the subsequent responses on brand attitude and engagement intention. An online survey was used to acquire consumers' evaluations of COVID-19 video ads published between March and August in 2020. Results showed that the message authenticity significantly increased consumers' perception of brand warmth, brand attitude, and engagement intention. Furthermore, the serial mediation results revealed the underlying mechanism that authentic ads evoked positively valenced emotional responses, which increased perceived brand warmth and further resulted in positive brand attitudes and engagement intentions. Practical implications and theoretical advancement are also discussed.

Latent profiles of adolescents' relationships with parents and siblings: Associations with emotional and behavioral responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of this study is to identify the latent profiles of Chinese adolescents' family (parent-adolescent and sibling) relationships prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as associations between those profiles and adolescents' emotional and behavioral responses. A total of 2,305 adolescents from China aged between 10 and 18 years completed measures of parent-adolescent relationships, sibling relationships, and emotional and behavioral responses during the pandemic. Four profiles of family relationships were identified via latent profile analysis and categorized as Cohesive-Decline, Mild-Decline, Conflictual-Stable, and Indifferent-Stable. Adolescents with a Conflictual-Stable profile reported more emotional and behavioral responses compared to the other profiles. In contrast, adolescents with a Cohesive-Decline profile exhibited fewer emotional responses compared to the other profiles. Adolescents with a Mild-Decline profile had fewer emotional responses than those with an Indifferent-Stable profile. These results shed light on the patterns and consequences of family relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic and have substantial implications for interventions involving family relationships in the context of regular epidemic prevention and control.

Exploring the boundaries of Neuromarketing through systematic investigation

Neuromarketing literature has grown remarkably in recent years. Although the field has generated a diverse body of knowledge, we still find a dearth of studies classifying the existing literature into research themes and further presenting known and unknown aspects of Neuromarketing from a business and management viewpoint. To bridge this gap, the present study conducted a systematic literature review of Neuromarketing from 2011 to 2021, with a sample of 100 peer-reviewed articles. Based on rigorous review and thematic analysis of 41 relevant research articles, four research themes were identified - 1) Phenomenon, 2) Application, 3) Bright side, and 4) Dark side of Neuromarketing. Further, a theoretical framework of neuromarketing effect on consumer behaviour was presented. Future research thrust areas in theory, application, methodology, and evidence were identified.

The Early Emotional Responses and Central Issues of People in the Epicenter of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis from Twitter Text Mining

This study aimed to explore citizens’ emotional responses and issues of interest in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The dataset comprised 65,313 tweets with the location marked as New York State. The data collection period was four days of tweets when New York City imposed a lockdown order due to an increase in confirmed cases. Data analysis was performed using R Studio. The emotional responses in tweets were analyzed using the Bing and NRC (National Research Council Canada) dictionaries. The tweets’central issue was identified by Text Network Analysis. When tweets were classified as either positive or negative, the negative sentiment was higher. Using the NRC dictionary, eight emotional classifications were devised: “trust,” “fear,” “anticipation,” “sadness,” “anger,” “joy,” “surprise,” and “disgust.” These results indicated that citizens showed negative and trusting emotional reactions in the early days of the pandemic. Moreover, citizens showed a strong interest in overcoming and coping with other people such as social solidarity. Citizens were concerned about the confirmation of COVID-19 infection status and death. Efforts should be made to ensure citizens’ psychological stability by promptly informing them of the status of infectious disease management and the route of infection. © 2023, Tech Science Press. All rights reserved.

Psychological Impacts of Coronavirus Outbreaks on Adults: A Rapid Evidence Review

A recent rapid review highlighted the negative psychological impacts of quarantining during coronavirus outbreaks on the public. However, to date, there has been no review of the psychological impacts of coronavirus on adults using research from community samples and not restricted to people quarantined during coronavirus. A rapid review was conducted to provide timely evidence about the mental health implications of coronavirus outbreaks on adults and to inform psychological research concerning the current COVID-19 outbreak. Three databases and Google Scholar were searched and a total of 27 studies were identified. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were identified during coronavirus outbreaks alongside concerns about becoming infected and family becoming infected. Those with pre-existing mental health conditions, young adults, women and those reporting physical symptoms appear to be vulnerable to negative psychological outcomes during coronavirus outbreaks. How people think about and understand coronavirus, and the coping strategies employed by people, may play a role in mitigating negative psychological outcomes. Results demonstrate the adverse psychological impacts of coronavirus outbreaks on adults and the need for continued investment in mental health services for the wider community during these times. Further longitudinal research is required to ascertain the long-term psychological consequences of coronavirus outbreaks. This review can be used to inform continued research on the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on adults.

Keeping in touch while sheltering in place: a comparative case study on the complex emotions experienced by older adults when introduced to ICTs and video conferencing services

Currently, COVID-19 poses a threat to the US and the rest of the world, which has created the need for many people to establish physical distance from others. This need for physical distance is perhaps most important for those most vulnerable to COVID-19, which includes the older adult population. Through this time of physical isolation, most people need to keep in touch with each other while sheltering in place. Advances in digital communication have offered new avenues to help people maintain communication, and these advances have made the lives of many easier and more efficient. These new avenues for communication include video conferencing services such as Zoom, Skype, Apple FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and other similar video-based communication services. Although many older adults have reliable access to the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) required for video-based communication, many older adults are not yet skilled in using them. ICT use can be dangerous without the right skills, because ICT use can allow people to become susceptible to forms of digital exploitation and/or abuse. However, it is increasingly becoming both a hazard and a hardship to not use ICTs as life continues to transition online. As is the case with anyone, the older adult population may feel different emotions depending on their past experiences with technology, the digital divide, and ageist beliefs. Although the participants came to this study with rich life experiences, nuanced wisdom, and countless successes in their lives, these emotions are perhaps one of the most significant and harmful barriers that may keep some older adults from participating in the digital world. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the emotions older adults experienced when introduced to ICTs, such as a video conferencing service, and what caused those emotions to manifest. A qualitative multiple-case study was used for data collection and analysis. Through the use of interviews, observation, and document review, this study explored the experiences and emotions of eleven older adults with ICTs, and specifically, video conferencing services. Data analyses included inductive analysis of qualitative data, within-case analysis, and cross-case analysis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The hidden part of the iceberg: The impact of social and emotional factors on the links between digital divide and online learning in times of crisis

The COVID 19 crisis has been a sudden, unexpected, and globally encompassing crisis, which had led to a shut-down of all face-to-face teaching, making online learning the only route for continuing with academic studies. Digital resources have therefore become a critical element in learning, deepening the digital divide between students and impacting academic learning and achievements. However, while social-emotional factors have been acknowledged to play a role in learning, including in online learning, coping with the digital divide is still typically viewed as a technological problem, and the role emotions and social resources play in coping with the digital divide, in particular within a global crisis is relatively unexplored. This chapter presents research conducted among 375 undergraduate students from different colleges and universities in Israel during the first COVID outbreak. The research purpose was to examine the impact of emotions, social support and lecturer perception on the links between the digital divide and online learning. The findings indicated that online learning involves technological, social, and emotional aspects that interact in complex ways. Therefore, higher education institutes should consider those aspects and become engaged in finding ways to address them as part of online learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Perspective of Uncertainty and Emotional Responses in Breast Cancer Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Breast cancer is a chronic disease that has implications for many aspects of the patient's life. Contracting the COVID-19 virus places cancer patients at a higher risk of infection. This condition triggers uncertainty which causes emotional responses. Objective: The aim of this study was to measure the relationship between the uncertainty perspective of breast cancer patients and emotional responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study used an observational study with a cross-sectional design. Data was collected from May to December 2021. The total sample of this study was 110 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at the Army Hospital of Dr. Soepraeon Malang, Indonesia. We used purposive sampling. The questionnaire used was a modified questionnaire from the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, a modified questionnaire from the Concerns about Recurrence Questionnaire, a modified questionnaire from the Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale, and a modified questionnaire from the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Data was analyzed using SPSS with a Spearman correlation test. Results: The mean uncertainty of the respondents was 75.98 or in the moderate category, emotional response was moderate fear with a mean score of 18.40, the average anxiety score was 41.05 or normal, and the mean depression score was 15.96 or low depression. In addition, there was a significant relationship between uncertainty and the emotional response among breast cancer patients in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic (p < .05). Conclusion: This study showed that there was a relationship between uncertainty and emotional response among breast cancer patients. It is important for nurses to provide good information about the disease among patients by using therapeutic communication and paying attention to the negative emotional responses of breast cancer patients.