Reactions to COVID-19: Differential predictors of distress, avoidance, and disregard for social distancing.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent psychological research into the effects of COVID-19 has focused largely on understanding excessive fear reactions ("over-responses"). Equally important, but neglected phenomena concern "under-responses", in which people downplay the significance of COVID-19. People who do not take the pandemic seriously may be less likely to adhere to social distancing policies. The present study is, to our knowledge, the first to investigate the differential predictors of over- and under-responses to COVID-19.

Methods

A large community sample from the United States and Canada (N = 6,854) completed measures of beliefs associated with over- and under-responses, along with measures of distress, excessive avoidance, and nonadherence to social distancing. Over-response beliefs

SUBMITTER: Taylor S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7413096 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature