Influencer Worship and Self-Connection with the Promoted Brands on Social Media: Why Benign Envy and Trait Competitiveness Matter.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between influencer worship and consumers' self-connection with the brands promoted by the influencer in social media contexts. Data from 698 active social media users who follow influencers were collected to test the conceptual framework. The findings support the positive link between influencer worship and consumers' self-connection with the brands promoted by the influencer on social media and suggest that this relationship is mediated by the activation of benign envy. The results also confirm the positive moderating effect of trait competitiveness on this relationship. Specifically, the effect is stronger for individuals with a higher level of competitive orientation. The findings contribute to the understanding of the relationship between influencers and their followers through computer-mediated environments. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are presented.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective mental well-being: The interplay of perceived threat, future anxiety and resilience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has potentially a serious impact on many people's mental well-being. This study analyses the influence of the perceived threat of COVID-19 on subjective mental well-being with an online survey (n = 711). Findings confirmed the hypothesized model that provides a process explanation for this effect through the mediating influence of the activation of future anxiety. In addition, results confirmed that this influence via future anxiety is moderated by resilience, a personality trait that enables individuals to cope better with stressful or traumatic events. Individuals with higher levels of resilience compared to those with lower levels registered a lower impact of perceived Covid threat on future anxiety and, in turn, on subjective well-being. This study contributes theoretically to a better understanding of the factors that determine the impact of traumatic events such as a pandemic on people's mental health. The implications of this study indicate interventions that may be carried out to minimize the pandemic's negative psychological consequences.