Do unbiased people act more rationally?-The case of comparative realism and vaccine intention.

Within different populations and at various stages of the pandemic, it has been demonstrated that individuals believe they are less likely to become infected than their average peer. This is known as comparative optimism and it has been one of the reproducible effects in social psychology. However, in previous and even the most recent studies, researchers often neglected to consider unbiased individuals and inspect the differences between biased and unbiased individuals. In a mini meta-analysis of six studies (Study 1), we discovered that unbiased individuals have lower vaccine intention than biased ones. In two pre-registered, follow-up studies, we aimed at testing the reproducibility of this phenomenon and its explanations. In Study 2 we replicated the main effect and found no evidence for differences in psychological control between biased and unbiased groups. In Study 3 we also replicated the effect and found that realists hold more centric views on the trade-offs between threats from getting vaccinated and getting ill. We discuss the interpretation and implication of our results in the context of the academic and lay-persons' views on rationality. We also put forward empirical and theoretical arguments for considering unbiased individuals as a separate phenomenon in the domain of self-others comparisons.

Double jeopardy: How lower levels of support during COVID-19 exacerbated the relationship between loneliness and distress.

While the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress is well documented, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are less clear. One factor known to be related to loneliness as well as psychological distress, is social support, with some studies suggesting that support-both received and provided-can serve as a mechanism to reduce the distress associated with loneliness. In this paper we examine the mediating role of both aspects of support in the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress in the COVID-19 context. We used a multi-country dataset collected at two timepoints during the pandemic; the first during the early stages (N = 6,842, 11 countries) and the second collected for a subset of countries (N = 1,299, 3 countries) 3 months later. Across all eleven countries, results revealed significant positive associations between loneliness and distress. Furthermore, using longitudinal data, we investigated the directionality of this relationship and found that increased loneliness over time was associated with increased psychological distress. The data also showed that both feeling unsupported and feeling unable to provide support to others mediated this relationship. These findings point to the need to facilitate people's ability to draw effective social support and help others-particularly at times when social connectedness is threatened-as a way of alleviating the psychological distress that commonly presents with loneliness.

Economic inequality and conspiracy theories.

Can perceptions of economic inequalities trigger conspiratorial thinking? We provide evidence that high economic inequality may enhance conspiratorial thinking because, as a form of collective-level crisis, it undermines the social fabric of society and engenders anomie. We focus on the mechanism through which inequality should affect conspiratorial thinking by outlining how inequality enhances perceptions of anomie that, in turn, increase conspiratorial thinking. We end our contribution with the observation that it is by focusing on the socio-structural contexts that trigger conspiracy beliefs that we can more fully understand them. Specifically, conspiracy beliefs are not merely a product of individual irrationality, but are grounded in, and reflective of, the times that collectives live in.

Unlocking collective cooperation in the midst of COVID-19: The role of social support in predicting the social class disparity in cooperation.

We examined whether (the lack of) social support can explain why researchers have found lower rates of adherence to follow public health guidelines amongst people who perceived themselves as coming from lower social class backgrounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, we surveyed 5818 participants from 10 countries during the first wave of lock-down. Contrary to previous findings, social class was not related to general adherence to COVID-19 regulations or desire to engage in citizenship behaviours (e.g., showing initiatives to help others during the pandemic). However, we found evidence of an indirect effect whereby those who perceived themselves as higher social class were more likely to be both the recipient and provider of social support which in turn predicted greater adherence and desire to engage in citizenship behaviours during the earlier wave of the pandemic. Our findings highlight the importance of social support in unlocking potential for collective cooperation (i.e., adherence to COVID-19 rules and desire to engage in citizenship behaviours). They suggest that instead of enforcing strict regulations, government authorities need to address existing social support barriers within lower income communities to facilitate cooperation from everyone in the community.

Knowledge of use of antibiotics among consumers in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Studies assessing consumers' knowledge of the rational use of antibiotics are essential to understand the knowledge gap before intervention strategies are instituted. OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge of rational use of antibiotics among consumers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: A cross-sectional study assessing knowledge of rational use of antibiotics among 960 consumers was conducted in Dar es salaam in March 2021. Participants were consecutively enrolled from outpatient pharmacies in selected public and private hospitals and marketplaces in Ilala Municipality. Data were collected using the WHO-validated questions on knowledge of consumers of antibiotic uses. RESULTS: Overall, 196 (20.4%) and 503 (52.4%) participants demonstrated good knowledge of rational antibiotic use and conditions that can be treated with antibiotics, respectively. However, 678 (70.6%) responded that they stopped using antibiotics after dose completion, 515 (53.6%) would request the same antibiotic if it had helped to treat a similar condition in the past and 406 (42.3%) are willing to use the same antibiotic if a friend or family member used the medication previously to treat similar signs and symptoms. Besides, the following conditions were mentioned as being treatable with antibiotics: influenza (50.7%), sore throat (61.4%) and urinary tract infection (60.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the consumers had poor knowledge of the rational uses of antibiotics and a moderate proportion had good knowledge of the conditions that are treatable with antibiotics. Those with a high level of education and with health insurance had good knowledge of rational uses of antibiotics.

Análisis de la satisfacción de pacientes del servicio de urgencias en un hospital público de Jalisco / Analysis of patients' satisfaction with the emergency room services of a public hospital in Jalisco / Análise da satisfação dos utentes no serviço de emergência em um hospital público em Jalisco / Analyse de la satisfaction des patients avec le service des urgences dans un hôpital public à Jalisco

Resumen Objetivo: Determinar a través del desempeño del personal de salud, el nivel de satisfacción en pacientes que acudieron al servicio de urgencias de un hospital público del estado de Jalisco. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo de tipo descriptivo, transversal y correlacional en un solo momento, con base al modelo SERVice PERFormance; aplicación de encuestas en un hospital de Zapopan, Jalisco a una muestra aleatoria de 96 pacientes abarcando las urgencias atendidas en el turno matutino, vespertino y nocturno durante una semana en abril 2017, utilizando un cuestionario con escala Likert para obtener la satisfacción del servicio desde las dimensiones tangibilidad, empatia, seguridad, confiabilidad y capacidad de respuesta. Resultados: Los hallazgos indican que las pacientes del sexo femenino percibieron mejor trato y orientación del servicio por parte del personal médico y de enfermería, a diferencia del sexo masculino; los pacientes atendidos en el turno vespertino obtuvieron mayor percepción de la rapidez con la que fueron atendidos; la facilidad en los trámites de ingreso al área de urgencias fue totalmente satisfactoria en el turno matutino y la mayoría de los pacientes concuerdan en que los trámites de egreso son fáciles independientemente del turno de atención. Conclusiones: La percepción de los pacientes respecto a la calidad del servicio depende del desempeño que otorgue todo el personal de salud de la institución, por lo que los resultados posibilitan la toma de decisiones para que los directivos garanticen calidad en la atención en todo momento.

Abstract Object: To determine, through the performance of health personnel, the level of patients' satisfaction who attended the emergency room services of a public hospital in the state of Jalisco. Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational quantitative study was carried out, based on the SERVice PERFormance model; application of surveys in a hospital in Zapopan, Jalisco to a random sample of 96 patients, including the emergencies attended in the morning, evening and night during a week of April 2017. Using a questionnaire with a scale Likert to obtain the patients' satisfaction with the service from the dimensions of tangibility, empathy, security, reliability and responsiveness. Results: The findings indícate that female patients perceived better treatment and orientation of the service by medical and nursing staff, unlike the male. Patients attended in the afternoon obtained greater perception of the speed when they were attended; the ease of the admission procedures to the emergency room was completely satisfactory in the morning and most of the patients agreed that the discharge procedures are easy regardless of the time of attention. Conclusions: The patients' perception regarding to the quality of the service depends on the performance given by all the health personnel of the institution, so the results enable the decision making as a result the managers guarantee quality in the care at all times.

Resumo Objetivo: Determinar o nivel de satisfação dos utentes que foram ao serviço de emergência de um hospital público no estado de Jalisco com o desempenho dos profissionais de saúde. Materiais e métodos: Desenvolveu-se um estudo quantitativo de tipo descritivo, transversal e correlacional num único momento, com base no modelo SERVice PERFormance; Aplicou-se de inquéritos por questionário num hospital em Zapopan, Jalisco, a uma amostra aleatória de 96 utentes que recorreram aos serviços de urgência durante os turnos de manhã, tarde e noite durante uma semana em abril de 2017. O questionário com uma escala tipo Likert pretendia obter a satisfação com o serviço nas dimensões tangibilidade, empatia, segurança, confiabilidade e capacidade de resposta. Resultados: Os dados indicam que as utentes do sexo feminino, ao contrário aos do sexo masculino, perceberam melhor o acolhimento e orientação do serviço pela equipe médica e de enfermagem; os utentes atendidos no turno da tarde obtiveram maior percepção da rapidez com que foram atendidos; a facilidade nos procedimentos de admissão na sala de urgência foi totalmente satisfatória no turno da manhã e a maioria dos utentes concorda que os procedimentos para a alta foram fáceis, independentemente do turno. Conclusoes: A percepção dos utentes em relajao à qualidade do serviço depende do desempenho dos profissionais de saúde, de modo que os resultados podem facilitar a tomada de decisões dos gestores e permitirem uma qualidade dos cuidados em todos os momentos.

Résumé Objectif: Déterminer á travers de la performance du personnel de santé, le niveau de satisfaction des patients qui se sont rendus au service des urgences d'un hopital public dans l'état de Jalisco Matériaux et méthodes: Une étude quantitative de type descriptif, transversal et corrélationnel a été réalisée á un moment donné, sur la base du modéle de performance de service; l'application d'enquetes dans un hopital de Zapopan, á Jalisco, á un échantillon aléatoire de 96 patients couvrant les situations d'urgence survenues le matin, l'aprés-midi et le nuit pendant une semaine en avril 2017, á l'aide d'un questionnaire á l'échelle de Likert pour obtenir la satisfaction du service á partir des dimensions de la tangibilité, de l'empathie, de la sécurité, de la fiabilité et de la réactivité. Résultats: Les résultats indiquent que les femmes percevaient la meilleure orientation des transactions et services par le personnel médical et infirmier, contrairement au sexe masculin; les patients présentés dans l'aprés-midi ont eu une meilleure perception de la vitesse á laquelle ils ont été pris en charge; la facilité dans les procédures d'admission á la salle d'urgence a été totalement satisfaisante dans le matin et la plupart des patients conviennent que les procédures de décharge sont faciles quel que soit le moment de la prise en charge. Conclusion: La perception des patients en ce qui concerne á la qualité du service dépend de la performance qui donne tout le personnel de santé de l'établissement, par conséquent, les résultats permettent la prise de décision afin que les gestionnaires garantissent des soins de qualité á tout moment.