Abstract
Our study investigates several antecedents and consequences of negative emotional reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-national sample of 737 participants. Our results show that COVID-19 anxiety and negative mood are positively predicted by death anxiety and the use in communication of general COVID-19 information. Death reflection reduces negative mood in relation to COVID-19 and attenuates the positive association between death anxiety on the one hand and the negative mood and anxiety in relation to COVID-19 on the other hand. The use of humoristic information about COVID-19 reduces anxiety and social distance towards people infected with COVID-19 and also attenuates the positive association between the use in communication of general COVID-19 information and negative mood in relation to COVID-19. Our results also show that the association between death anxiety and social distance towards those infected with COVID-19 is mediated by anxiety and negative mood in relation to COVID-19. Finally, the association between the use of COVID-19 information in interpersonal communication and social distance is mediated by anxiety and negative mood in relation to COVID-19. The study thus reveals specific insights for tailored interventions to reduce negativity towards people infected with COVID-19.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-14 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Current Psychology |
Early online date | 4 Mar 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 4 Mar 2021 |
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Humor
- Communication
- Social distance
- Discrimination
- Death anxiety
- PERSONALITY
- INFORMATION
- STATE
- POWER
- PREJUDICE
- FEAR
- MOOD
- TERROR MANAGEMENT THEORY
- MORTALITY SALIENCE
- HUMOR