Positive and negative experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic among lonely and non-lonely populations in Germany.

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing an epidemic of loneliness. Previous studies have shown the differences in positive and negative experiences of lonely and non-lonely people in a non-pandemic setting. However, it is unclear how the drastic alteration of the COVID-19 pandemic may influence peoples' reactions and beliefs, especially among those who feel lonely. Our study aims to examine the positive and negative experiences among lonely and non-lonely people. We undertook a cross-sectional online survey of the general population in Germany (N = 1,758) from May 2020 to May 2022. We assessed their feelings of loneliness with the short eight-item UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), their positive and negative experience of living in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as their psychological distress regarding the pandemic with the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). We found lonely individuals (ULS-8 score ≥ 16) reported fewer positive experiences of living in the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, less time with loved ones [z (1, 756) = -2.5, p = 0.012] and less sense of togetherness [z (1, 756) = -2.39, p = 0.017] as compared to non-lonely individuals. Meanwhile, they experienced more negative experiences, for example, worry and fear [z (1, 756) = 6.31, p < 0.001] compared with non-lonely individuals. Interestingly, lonely people were less likely to view the pandemic as a conspiracy than non-lonely people were [z (1, 756) = -3.35, p < 0.001]. Our results may give insight into attribution bias and the negative affect of lonely people during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as highlight the experience of non-lonely people and raise the question of differences in conspiracy beliefs. For pandemic preparedness and response, decision-makers may focus on interventions to foster social cohesion, empower people, build resilience, and most importantly provide timely social care.

Platform-centric vs. multi-party service failure: an examination of consumers' negative word of mouth about sharing economy platforms

PurposeThis paper aims to identify platform-centric versus multiparty service failure on sharing economy platforms via topic modeling analysis of consumers' negative online reviews. The authors also sought to understand consumers' reactions to these experiences by detecting negative discrete emotions. The authors then contrasted consumers' responses to platform-centric and multiparty service failure through the theoretical lens of failure controllability.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a large-scale data set containing more than 81,000 negative app reviews on eight representative hospitality and tourism sharing economy platforms. Topic modeling coupled with emotion detection algorithms revealed 11 themes reflecting diverse forms of platform-centric versus multiparty service failure and their associations with negative discrete emotions based on regression analysis.FindingsThe 11 themes reflecting diverse forms of platform-centric versus multiparty service failure were as follows: app glitch, customer service, locating and pooling, account issues, transaction, offer redemption, interface challenges, intermediary inaction, service lateness and cancellation, incorrect order and fee structure. The analysis suggests that platform-centric service failure is more likely than multiparty service failure to elicit negative discrete emotions.Originality/valueThe research enriches the understanding of platform-related service failure beyond dyadic service interaction. In particular, the authors bring to light two forms of platform-related service failure that warrant scholarly attention: platform-centric versus multiparty service failure. By uncovering the distinct negative emotional associations of platform-centric versus multiparty service failure, the research adds novel empirical evidence to the service failure literature and the relevant attribution theory. Findings offer long-term implications for the sustainable development of sharing economies and platform businesses in contemporary hospitality.

COVID-19-related conspiracy theories in China

Many COVID-19 conspiracy theories implicate China and its agents, whether implicitly or explicitly, as conspirators with potentially malicious intent behind the current pandemic. We set out to explore whether Chinese people believe in pandemic-related conspiracy theories, and if so, how do their secure (in-group identification) and defensive (collective narcissism) in-group positivity predict their conspiracy beliefs. We hypothesized that national identification would negatively predict the tendency to attribute responsibility to an in-group, thus predicting less risk-rejection conspiracy theory beliefs (e.g., COVID-19 is a hoax). In contrast, national collective narcissism would positively predict the tendency to attribute responsibility for the pandemic to an out-group, which in turn would validate conspiracy theories that acknowledge the risk of the pandemic (e.g., COVID-19 is a bioweapon). To test these predictions, we collected data in China (n = 1,200) in April 2020. Supporting our predictions, national identification was negatively associated with risk-rejection conspiracy beliefs via in-group attribution, whereas national collective narcissism was positively associated with risk-acceptance conspiracy beliefs via out-group attribution.

Adaptive capacity: A qualitative study of midlife Australian women's resilience during COVID-19

This article explores adaptive capacity as a framework for understanding how South Australian women in midlife (aged 45-64) demonstrated resilience during the early phases of COVID-19. In-depth interviews were undertaken with 40 women mid-2020 as a follow-up study to interviews with the same women undertaken 2018-19 (before COVID-19 emerged). Transcripts were analysed following a critical realist approach using Grothmann and Patt's construct of adaptive capacity as a framework for analysis. This enabled authors to unpack the mechanisms of resilience that shaped women's experiences of appraising, and then showing an intention to adapt to COVID-19 adversity. Findings support the explanatory utility of adaptive capacity to understand resilience processes in the context of person-environment changes - the environment being the COVID-19 context - and women's capability to adapt to social distancing and lockdown conditions. With COVID-19 evoking health, social and economic challenges at incomparable scales, potentially fracturing mental stability, this article provides insight useful to policy makers and health professionals to support resilience as the pandemic continues.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

Evaluation of the ePlex Respiratory pathogen panel 2 to detect viral and bacterial pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in nasopharyngeal swabs

The simultaneous detection and specific identification of multiple pathogens from patients exhibiting respiratory symptoms is important for directing pathogen-specific treatments. The ePlex Respiratory Pathogen Panel 2 (ePlex RP2 panel) is a multiplex molecular test for the qualitative detection of many viral and bacterial pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory tract infections. The ePlex RP2 panel received FDA emergency use authorization for nasopharyngeal swab specimens collected in viral transport media. In the evaluation using the ePlex RP2, a total of 67 nasopharyngeal swab specimens were compared to the ePlex RP panel and the CDC 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR assay as the reference methods. The overall agreement of the ePlex RP2 panel was 100%. The ePlex RP2 panel could detect Omicron BA1 and BA2. The ePlex RP2 panel is a rapid, sensitive and specific "specimen-to-answer" platform to detect simultaneously multiple viruses and bacteria in the upper respiratory tract.Copyright © 2022 The Authors

Blame the pandemic: Buffering the association between stress and relationship quality during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique climate for examining the links between stressful conditions and couples' relationship well-being. According to theories of stress spillover, stressors originating outside the relationship, such as work stress and financial uncertainty, often undermine relationship quality. However, if individuals can easily attribute their problems to the stressful circumstances, their relationship may be more resilient. Given the salience of the pandemic, the current study used two waves of 14-day daily diary data collected from 191 participants to examine whether blaming the pandemic for problems may reduce stress spillover. We also expected the buffering effect of pandemic blaming attributions to wane as stressful conditions persisted and continued to tax partners' coping resources. Multilevel modeling confirmed that women, but not men, who were more blaming of the pandemic exhibited reduced stress spillover during the COVID-19 outbreak;notably, this buffering effect did not weaken over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Police officers' punitiveness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of fear, attribution and self-legitimacy

PurposeThe focus of this study is to examine Indian police officers' punitiveness toward violators of criminal sanctions attached to COVID-19 mitigation laws enacted by the Indian Penal Code. The authors draw from the conceptual frameworks and correlates typically employed in traditional crime and justice research and adapt them to the context of the pandemic. Additionally, the authors examine whether officers' punitive attitudes are related to their belief in self-legitimacy and their job assignment (civilian vs. armed personnel) in a country with inherited colonial policing legacies.Design/methodology/approachData for the study came from 1,323 police officers in a northern state of India.FindingsFindings suggest that officers with vicarious fear of COVID-19 infections (e.g. infection of family members) find the sanctions associated with the new laws harsh. Additionally, officers who subscribe to the classical attributions of offenders feel that the laws are not punitive enough. In contrast, those with deterministic views perceive the sanctions as excessively harsh. Findings also suggest that officers' self-legitimacy, and belief in the authority and responsibility vested in them, is a key predictor of their punitive attitudes. Finally, officers assigned to police lines are more punitive than those designated to patrol/traffic work.Research limitations/implicationsData or prior research on officers' punitive attitudes toward other violations (non-COVID-19 violations) is unavailable for comparison with this study's findings.Originality/valueNo prior research has examined the relationship between police officers' perceptions of self-legitimacy, their belief in the authority vested in them by the state, their belief in their role as police officers and their relationship to their punitive attitudes.

Why do we vent our emotions and blame others during the coronavirus pandemic? The role of emotional clarity in the United States and South Korea

People have been experiencing more negative affect (NA) during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic than prior to its onset. This may increase instances of people venting their emotions and blaming others to relieve the flood of unregulated NA. This study examined individuals' venting and blaming processes within the context of the pandemic and explored the mediating role of emotional clarity across cultures. We conducted an online survey with 210 and 197 participants from the US and South Korea, respectively. The results of the moderated mediation analysis showed that individuals' NA during the pandemic significantly affected their venting and blaming via emotional clarity among US participants. This finding implies that when people in individualistic cultures do not fully understand their emotions, they are more likely to vent to or blame others. This can serve as a potential risk factor for hate crimes during the pandemic. Conversely, the mediation effect of emotional clarity was not significant among South Korean participants, suggesting dissimilar roles played by emotional clarity in individualistic versus collectivistic cultures in managing NA. © 2023 Fundacion Infancia y Aprendizaje.

Why do we vent our emotions and blame others during the coronavirus pandemic? The role of emotional clarity in the United States and South Korea (¿Por qué ventilamos nuestras emociones y culpabilizamos a otras personas durante la pandemia del coronavirus? El rol de la claridad emocional en los Estados Unidos y Corea del Sur)

People have been experiencing more negative affect (NA) during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic than prior to its onset. This may increase instances of people venting their emotions and blaming others to relieve the flood of unregulated NA. This study examined individuals' venting and blaming processes within the context of the pandemic and explored the mediating role of emotional clarity across cultures. We conducted an online survey with 210 and 197 participants from the US and South Korea, respectively. The results of the moderated mediation analysis showed that individuals' NA during the pandemic significantly affected their venting and blaming via emotional clarity among US participants. This finding implies that when people in individualistic cultures do not fully understand their emotions, they are more likely to vent to or blame others. This can serve as a potential risk factor for hate crimes during the pandemic. Conversely, the mediation effect of emotional clarity was not significant among South Korean participants, suggesting dissimilar roles played by emotional clarity in individualistic versus collectivistic cultures in managing NA. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] RESUMEN Las personas han estado experimentando más afectos negativos (AN) durante la enfermedad del coronavirus 2019 que antes de su aparición. Esto puede aumentar los casos de personas que ventilan sus emociones y culpabilizan a los demás para aliviar el flujo de afectos negativos (AN) no regulados. Este estudio analizó los procesos de ventilación emocional y culpabilización de los individuos en el contexto de la pandemia, y estudió el rol mediador de la claridad emocional entre culturas. Realizamos una encuesta online con 210 y 197 participantes de Estados Unidos y Corea del Sur, respectivamente. Los resultados del análisis de mediación moderada mostraron que los AN de los individuos durante la pandemia afectaron significativamente su forma de ventilar sus emociones y culpabilizar a través de la claridad emocional entre los participantes de los Estados Unidos. Este hallazgo implica que cuando las personas de culturas individualistas no conocen plenamente sus emociones, tienen más probabilidades de ventilarlas o de culpabilizar a otros. Esto puede servir como un factor de riesgo potencial para delitos de odio durante la pandemia. Y a la inversa, el efecto de mediación de la claridad emocional no fue significativa entre los participantes de Corea del Sur, lo que sugiere que los roles de la claridad emocional no son similares en las culturas individualistas y en las culturas colectivistas a la hora de gestionar los AN. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Revista de Psicologia Social is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

COVID-19-related conspiracy theories in China: The role of secure versus defensive in-group positivity and responsibility attributions

Many COVID-19 conspiracy theories implicate China and its agents, whether implicitly or explicitly, as conspirators with potentially malicious intent behind the current pandemic. We set out to explore whether Chinese people believe in pandemic-related conspiracy theories, and if so, how do their secure (in-group identification) and defensive (collective narcissism) in-group positivity predict their conspiracy beliefs. We hypothesized that national identification would negatively predict the tendency to attribute responsibility to an in-group, thus predicting less risk-rejection conspiracy theory beliefs (e.g., COVID-19 is a hoax). In contrast, national collective narcissism would positively predict the tendency to attribute responsibility for the pandemic to an out-group, which in turn would validate conspiracy theories that acknowledge the risk of the pandemic (e.g., COVID-19 is a bioweapon). To test these predictions, we collected data in China (n = 1,200) in April 2020. Supporting our predictions, national identification was negatively associated with risk-rejection conspiracy beliefs via in-group attribution, whereas national collective narcissism was positively associated with risk-acceptance conspiracy beliefs via out-group attribution. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Deep neural network and model-based clustering technique for forensic electronic mail author attribution.

Electronic mail is the primary source of different cyber scams. Identifying the author of electronic mail is essential. It forms significant documentary evidence in the field of digital forensics. This paper presents a model for email author identification (or) attribution by utilizing deep neural networks and model-based clustering techniques. It is perceived that stylometry features in the authorship identification have gained a lot of importance as it enhances the author attribution task's accuracy. The experiments were performed on a publicly available benchmark Enron dataset, considering many authors. The proposed model achieves an accuracy of 94% on five authors, 90% on ten authors, 86% on 25 authors and 75% on the entire dataset for the Deep Neural Network technique, which is a good measure of accuracy on a highly imbalanced data. The second cluster-based technique yielded an excellent 86% accuracy on the entire dataset, considering the authors' number based on their contribution to the aggregate data.

Cognitive mechanisms of self-focused augmented reality

Research has shown an association between extended reality (XR) use and perception and emotion. A better understanding of these relationships from a design perspective would help develop effective health communications. Drawing on objective self-awareness and self-focused attention theories, the studies included in this work describe three experiments that investigate relationships between self-focus, object presence, risk perceptions, causal attribution, negative affect, and other predictors of behavior. Focusing on hand hygiene during COVID-19, the first study hypothesized that self-focused augmented reality (AR) video filters (e.g., Snapchat Lenses and AR effects on Instagram) would induce higher risk perceptions, fear, and intentions in a health communication context. A web-based between-subjects experiment found self-focused AR video filters to result in higher behavioral intentions through increased perceived threat severity and susceptibility. Study 2 focused on COVID-19 vaccination intentions. The study evaluated the impact of mediating attention to self (with AR video filters) on causal attribution, finding an increase in self-oriented attributions of risk, further mediating vaccine outcome expectancy and vaccination intentions. Study 3 revisited Study 1 investigating the potential role of object presence. This final study evaluated the individual and combined effects of self-focused attention and object presence in the case of indoor air pollution communication when presented in different forms of AR. Findings indicated an impact on perceived threat susceptibility, severity, and negative impact as mediated by object presence for both AR overlaying digital content on participant's environment or a mirror reflection of themselves. Private-self awareness was found to mediate an impact on risk perceptions and affect when digital content was overlayed on one's environment. Additional findings related to overlaying content on the self highlighted the potential methodological challenges of conducting remote AR studies. The studies described here contribute to human-computer interaction (HCI), XR, and health communication research, expanding the current knowledge of the relationships between self-focused AR designs, user perception, affect, and behavioral intentions. Theoretical contributions include a deeper understanding of (1) the roles of self-focused attention and object presence as cognitive mechanisms of self-focused AR, (2) new considerations of positive affect as a mechanism, and (3) a framework for future theory building for self-focused AR research. Practical contributions include design recommendations for assessing, utilizing, and mitigating affect, risk perceptions, and causal attributions during the development of AR experiences. Methodological contributions include the development of novel methods for remote, unmoderated AR studies and related insights. Collectively, this work aims to contribute to the evaluation of a popularized form of AR to maintain the safety and well-being of end-users. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The Policy Blame Game: How Polarization Distorts Democratic Accountability across the Local, State, and Federal Level

Democratic accountability relies on voters to punish their representatives for policies they dislike. Yet, a separation-of-powers system can make it hard to know who is to blame, and partisan biases further distort voters' evaluations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, precautionary policies were put into place sometimes by governors, sometimes by mayors, and sometimes by no one at all, allowing us to identify when voters hold out-party versus in-party politicians responsible for policies. With a survey spanning 48 states, we test our theory that attitudes toward policies and parties intersect to determine when selective attribution takes place. We find that as individuals increasingly oppose a policy, they are more likely to blame whichever level of government is led by the out-party. This is most pronounced among partisans with strong in-party biases. We provide important insight into the mechanisms that drive selective attribution and the conditions under which democratic accountability is at risk.

Association between self-compassion and cyber aggression in the COVID-19 context: roles of attribution and public stigma.

Self-compassion is negatively associated with aggressive behaviors. However, the association between self-compassion and cyber aggression toward stigmatized people (e.g., people infected with COVID-19) has not been investigated in the COVID-19 context and the mechanism underlying this association remains underexplored. On the basis of emotion regulation theory and attribution theory, this study examined the indirect effects of self-compassion on cyber aggression toward people infected with COVID-19 through attribution and public stigma of COVID-19. Data were collected from 1162 Chinese college students (415 male, mean age = 21.61 years). Participants completed an online questionnaire including measurement of the key variables and basic demographic information. Results indicated that self-compassion was negatively associated with cyber aggression through the lower attribution of COVID-19 and lower public stigma of COVID-19. A sequential pathway from the attribution of COVID-19 to public stigma of COVID-19 was identified in the relationship between self-compassion and cyber aggression. Our findings are consistent with emotion regulation theory and attribution theory, which posit that emotion regulation strategies are associated with interpersonal mistreatment through cognitive pathways. These findings suggest that emotional self-regulation strategies can be used to reduce cyber aggression toward stigmatized people by reducing attribution and public stigma in the COVID-19 context. Self-compassion improvement could be target for the interventions aiming at alleviating public stigma and interpersonal mistreatment toward stigmatized people.

Stigmatization in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey experiment using attribution theory and the familiarity hypothesis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global health crisis, leading to stigmatization and discriminatory behaviors against people who have contracted or are suspected of having contracted the virus. Yet the causes of stigmatization in the context of COVID-19 remain only partially understood. Using attribution theory, we examine to what extent attributes of a fictitious person affect the formation of stigmatizing attitudes towards this person, and whether suspected COVID-19 infection (vs. flu) intensifies such attitudes. We also use the familiarity hypothesis to explore whether familiarity with COVID-19 reduces stigma and whether it moderates the effect of a COVID-19 infection on stigmatization. METHODS: We conducted a multifactorial vignette survey experiment (28-design, i.e., NVignettes = 256) in Germany (NRespondents = 4,059) in which we experimentally varied signals and signaling events (i.e., information that may trigger stigma) concerning a fictitious person in the context of COVID-19. We assessed respondents' cognitive (e.g., blameworthiness) and affective (e.g., anger) responses as well as their discriminatory inclinations (e.g., avoidance) towards the character. Furthermore, we measured different indicators of respondents' familiarity with COVID-19. RESULTS: Results revealed higher levels of stigma towards people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 versus a regular flu. In addition, stigma was higher towards those who were considered responsible for their infection due to irresponsible behavior. Knowing someone who died from a COVID infection increased stigma. While higher self-reported knowledge about COVID-19 was associated with more stigma, higher factual knowledge was associated with less. CONCLUSION: Attribution theory and to a lesser extent the familiarity hypothesis can help better understand stigma in the context of COVID-19. This study provides insights about who is at risk of stigmatization and stigmatizing others in this context. It thereby allows identifying the groups that require more support in accessing healthcare services and suggests that basic, factually oriented public health interventions would be promising for reducing stigma.

Attribution of Community Emergency Volunteer Behaviour During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Community Residents in Shanghai, China.

Based on grounded theory, the present study summarizes the transcripts from 32 in-depth interviews with Chinese community emergency volunteers to uncover the attributions of community emergency volunteering in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Community emergency volunteering in China is affected by four main factors: inner awareness, the external environment, national policy, and publicity and advocacy. Among these factors, inner awareness and the external environment are the internal and social psychological attributions, respectively, of emergency volunteering. In addition, publicity and advocacy also play a role in both inner awareness and the external environment and, together with national policies, act on community emergency volunteering. Finally, the high level of trust of some volunteers in their ruling party and government is a deep-seated driving force of their volunteering, a factor that has not been emphasized in past studies.

Effect of attribution on the emotions and behavioral intentions of third-party observers toward intergroup discriminators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 has caused intergroup discrimination associated with the disease to become increasingly prominent. Research demonstrates that the attitudes and behaviors of third-party observers significantly impact the progression of discrimination incidents. This study tested a parallel mediating model in which the attribution tendencies of observers influence their behavioral intentions through the mediating effect of the emotions of anger and contempt. The first two studies confirmed the proposed model with discrimination incidents reported against "returnees from Wuhan" and "returning workers from Hubei." Study 3 further manipulated the attribution tendencies of observers, providing empirical evidence for the causality from attribution tendencies to emotions, confirming the validity of the model. These findings enrich the cognitive (attribution)-emotion-action model, further enhancing our understanding of the role of third parties in intergroup conflicts, with implications for the management of people's emotions and behaviors in social crises.

Measuring Training Disruptions Using an Informatics Based Tool.

OBJECTIVE: Training disruptions, such as planned curricular adjustments or unplanned global pandemics, impact residency training in ways that are difficult to quantify. Informatics-based medical education tools can help measure these impacts. We tested the ability of a software platform driven by electronic health record data to quantify anticipated changes in trainee clinical experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We previously developed and validated the Trainee Individualized Learning System (TRAILS) to identify pediatric resident clinical experiences (i.e. shifts, resident provider-patient interactions (rPPIs), and diagnoses). We used TRAILS to perform a year-over-year analysis comparing pediatrics residents at a large academic children's hospital during March 15-June 15 in 2018 (Control #1), 2019 (Control #2), and 2020 (Exposure). RESULTS: Residents in the exposure cohort had fewer shifts than those in both control cohorts (P < .05). rPPIs decreased an average of 43% across all PGY levels, with interns experiencing a 78% decrease in Continuity Clinic. Patient continuity decreased from 23% to 11%. rPPIs with common clinic and emergency department diagnoses decreased substantially during the exposure period. CONCLUSIONS: Informatics tools like TRAILS may help program directors understand the impact of training disruptions on resident clinical experiences and target interventions to learners' needs and development.

Effects of scenario-based attribution on collective emotions and stigma toward persons with COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey.

Background and Aims: During this COVID-19 pandemic, many people experience and share emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, and disgust, which can be regarded as collective emotions. This study investigated the effects of scenario-based attribution for serious diseases on collective emotions and social stigma. Methods: Participants were 297 healthy adults who met two conditions: (1) not having tested positive for COVID-19 (including their family members or close friends) and no experience of self-quarantine; and (2) not having been diagnosed with lung cancer, and not having family members or close friends diagnosed with it. Three hundred participants were recruited, through a company conducting online surveys. A total of 297 data sets were analyzed, excluding data supplied by three participants who might have responded unreliably to the filler question. Scenarios were recorded according to attribution type (internal vs. external) and disease (COVID-19 vs. lung cancer). A 2 × 2 factorial design was used, whereby participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Results: The COVID-19 condition showed higher scores on the perceived risk and fear of the disease compared to the lung cancer one. The COVID-19/internal attribution condition showed the highest scores for fear and anger toward scenario characters, and the lung cancer/external attribution condition showed higher sympathy scores than other conditions. Although attribution to COVID-19 was not directly related to social stigma, it could evoke negative emotions toward infected people. Conclusion: The findings suggest that attributions of serious diseases such as COVID-19 to infected persons can influence collective emotions and the level of social stigma associated with the disease. Attention to the collective emotions and stigma associated with disease is a key component for communities and countries to recover from and respond to its impacts.

Studies on Education, Science, and Technology 2021

Education, science, and technology disciplines at all levels have never been more important, more exciting, or more crucial for its broader impacts on human society. The need for advanced technical skills is increasingly pressing to address climate change, combat COVID and other diseases, enhance the infrastructural built environment, grow food sources to feed an expanding planetary population, make new scientific discoveries, and interface synergistically with the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Teachers/instructors/mentors/professors need to be proficient in the best ways to convey knowledge and motivate the next generations of productive and engaged citizens of an increasingly diverse planet on which its human inhabitants must learn to confront and surmount increasingly difficult challenges to survival and prosperity. Students need to be focused on honing their learning skills and adapting to an ever-evolving global economy demanding always higher levels of technical proficiency. Students also need to be free to pursue any and all areas of interest without interference from cultural, political, ideological, or faith-imposed limitations. Policymakers need to provide the financial and human resources to fuel the engine of education, and they must create the maximum possible latitude for both those who teach and those who learn to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to their limits. This book contributes to addressing these needs and to suggesting potential solutions from multiple global perspectives. Adaptability of instructional methods, relevance of instructional content to students' lived experiences, and sensitivity to the mental and physical demands imposed on students must be hallmarks of education. The book is divided into three sections related to studies on education, science, and technology. Each section includes three chapters. The chapter's contributors are from the following countries: the United States, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Malaysia. This diversity brings an international perspective to the book.