1,721,177 research outputs found
The Role of Existential Concerns in the Individual’s Decisions regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Survey among Non-Vaccinated Italian Adults during the Third Wave of the Pandemic
Full text linkRecent studies have suggested that health constructs embraced by the Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) may drive individuals’ COVID-19 health-related decisions. This study examines the relationships between existential concerns (ECs; within the TMT), basic psychological needs (BPNs; within the BPNT) and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH), as well as the mediating role of negative attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines. A cross-sectional survey was carried out from April to May 2021 on a sample of two hundred and eighty-seven adults (Mage = 36.04 ± 12.07; 59.9% females). Participants provided information regarding existential concerns, basic psychological needs, attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine hesitancy for Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines separately. Higher vaccine hesitancy (32.1%) and vaccine resistance (32.8%) rates were found for AstraZeneca than for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (22.3% and 10.1%, respectively). Structural equation modeling showed that existential concerns were related to Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccine hesitancy both directly and indirectly through negative attitudes toward potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. The findings of the study confirm that the TMT is efficient in explaining COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Targeted efforts are needed to increase the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines
Social comparison on facebook and its effect on an individual's well-being
No full textSocial comparison is the process through which people compare their opinions, abilities, behaviours and emotions with those of others for selfevaluation and to obtain an external guide for themselves. There is wide evidence that social comparison is a pervasive behaviour, particularly among adults, both in their social life and in online relationships established through Social Network Sites. A growing number of studies show unmistakably that online social comparison through social media can influence people's everyday life. Features such as Facebook's News Feed or Instagram's Daily Stories provide a stream of information about friends' lives, achievements, abilities and personality, creating a perfect environment for social comparison to take place. Researchers have therefore begun to examine more closely how social comparison operates on Social Network Sites, given that social media allows users to constantly monitor what friends are doing and talking about, and how others are responding. In this chapter, online social comparison is analysed from a social psychological perspective by examining the classical theories and the most recent theoretical contributions of the construct, and above all by highlighting the main differences in interpretations about its occurrence in face-to-face and social media contexts. Recent perspectives on clinical outcomes and mental health are also discussed
Interplay Between Fear of Missing Out and Loneliness: A Three-Wave Panel Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textAlthough the concept of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is permeated with individual fears about the lack of social connection, the relationship between FoMO and feelings of loneliness has been the subject of limited research. The aim of this study was to examine bidirectional associations between FoMO and loneliness via a three-wave, random intercept, cross-lagged panel model. Drawing on a survey with 494 adult participants across three waves (45.3 percent participated in Time 2 and 38.7 percent participated at Time 3) during the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that participants with higher FoMO also reported heightened levels of loneliness across the three waves, at a between-person level. Furthermore, loneliness had significant negative cross-lagged associations with subsequent FoMO, at within-person level. The cross-lagged paths between FoMO and subsequent loneliness were not significant. Participants who usually spend more daily time using social media reported higher levels of FoMO. The findings of the study contribute to clarifying the temporal relationship between FoMO and loneliness, by suggesting that FoMO may not represent a risk factor for heightened feelings of loneliness, but it can be triggered by feelings of social isolation and lack of relationships
Unveiling the influence of the Italian mafia as a Dark Triad threat on individuals’ affective states and the power of defense mechanisms
Full text linkThe present research investigated whether the Italian mafia as a Dark Triad threat increased threat-related affective states and explored how thinking about defense mechanisms may help to reduce these states. For this, we conducted a multi-method experimental study with Italians (N = 253). The quantitative results show that the mafia as a threat manipulation increased threat-related affective states in terms of higher behavioral inhibition (BIS) and lower behavioral activation (BAS). The qualitative results further depict proximal and distal defense mechanisms to reduce this threat, which can be categorized into models of threat and defense. Exploratory analyses indicate that naming distal defenses positively affected the increase of BAS. Additionally, when participants had higher levels of BIS after the threat, naming more defenses and proximal defenses positively affected the decrease of BIS. Further qualitative results provide valuable information on effective personal and societal buffers for the perceived threat of the Italian mafia
The role of online social comparison as a protective factor for psychological wellbeing: A longitudinal study during the COVID-19 quarantine
Full text linkDuring the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the experience of quarantine has been an undesirable condition for people and it can have a negative impact on mental health and psychological wellbeing. Social isolation has led to an increase in time spent on social network sites, with people interacting more frequently with each other, and comparing online the way in which they are experiencing the same state of home confinement. Our study aimed to investigate the role of online social comparison on individuals' psychological distress and life satisfaction during the COVID-19-related quarantine. Specifically, a cross-lagged panel study at three-waves was conducted in Italy in order to examine the change in psychosocial distress levels (e.g. depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, low life-satisfaction) from before the quarantine for a period of one month, as well as the predictive role of online social comparison to ameliorate individual distress. An online survey was distributed through a social media platform three times after the initial lockdown and at the epidemic's peak two and five weeks later. A total of 113 participants participated in an online survey between the 7th of March and 14th of April 2020. The results showed an increase in the levels of loneliness, depression, stress, anxiety and a decrease in the level of life satisfaction in the pre/post quarantine comparison. Our cross-lagged results also showed that online social comparison at T1 and T2 predicted the individual's improvement in levels of anxiety, stress, loneliness and life satisfaction over time. Overall, the results of the current study underline the positive effects of online social comparison on the reduction of psychological distress during the COVID-19 quarantine
A longitudinal investigation on problematic Facebook use, psychological distress and well-being during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic
Full text linkThe social isolation and the subsequent, increased use of Social Networking Sites due to the COVID-19 pandemic have had an impact on subjective well-being around the world. The present longitudinal study examined whether changes in psychological distress and well-being during the Italian second wave of the pandemic differ among people with different levels of Problematic Facebook Use (PFU). A total of 493 participants (Mage = 24.55 ± 7.25; 80.3% females) completed measures of passive use of Facebook, social comparison orientation on Facebook, fear of missing out, psychological distress (depressive symptoms and fear of COVID-19 pandemic) and well-being across three waves. Latent class analysis (LCA) categorized participants into three groups with different PFU levels: healthy users, moderate PFU users, and high PFU users. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) showed that the between-person level (class membership) accounted for most of the variability in psychological distress and well-being. No significant changes were found in psychological distress and well-being over time, but the High PFU users showed greater levels of psychological distress and lower levels of well-being at each time point. The findings of this study suggest that the relationship between PFU, psychological distress and well-being may reflect trait-like time-invariant differences between individuals rather than state-like changes
The Thin Ideal and Attitudes towards Appearance as Correlates of Exercise Addiction among Sporty People during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Full text linkThe stress and anxiety caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) have exacerbated body image concerns. A society that perpetuates the attempt for a perfect and thin appearance represents a fertile ground for the development of exercise addiction (EA). This cross-sectional study aims to explore EA during the second wave of the pandemic (October–December 2020) and to examine the independent influence of both time spent on moderate and vigorous physical activities and body image variables (i.e., drive for leanness and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance) on EA. A sample of Italian sporty people (N = 194; 48.5% females; Mage = 25.91 ± 6.32) was surveyed using the Exercise Addiction Inventory, the Drive for Leanness Scale, the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. A total of 82% of the sample were symptomatic of and 11.3% were at risk of EA. Hierarchical regressions revealed an association between the time spent on vigorous physical activities and levels of EA (p < 0.05). Moreover, body image variables were positively related to EA, explaining an additional 11% of variance (p < 0.05). Results showed the importance of considering and addressing body image factors to investigate and dampen the risk of EA among sporty people
The relationship between working alliance with peer mentors and eating psychopathology in a digital 6-week guided self-help intervention for anorexia nervosa
Full text linkObjective: The quality of working alliance (WA) is associated with treatment outcomes across several types of psychiatric disorders and psychological interventions. This study examined the role of WA with peer mentors (people with lived experience of illness) and student mentors (graduated psychology students) in a 6-week, digital, guided self-help (GSH) intervention for anorexia nervosa. Method: Ninety-nine patients rated weekly, for 6 weeks: (a) eating psychopathology using the short version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-QS) and (b) WA with a student mentor (n = 14) or a peer mentor (n = 10). WA was assessed by asking patients the extent to which they felt comfortable working with their mentor and the extent to which they agreed with them on the goals for support. WA with mentors and the association with eating psychopathology change were measured on a session-by-session basis. The analysis involved a random intercepts cross-lagged panel model. Results: WA with peer mentors was slightly higher than WA with students (ES = 0.3). Peer mentors' WA in the previous session was significantly associated with eating psychopathology ratings in the next session. No significant relationship was found between the previous session's EDE-QS scores and peer mentor alliance in the following session. In the student mentor group, there were no session-by-session associations between WA and eating psychopathology. However, greater WA with the student mentor across sessions was associated with less eating psychopathology. Discussion: These findings suggest that clinical outcomes are in part associated with the characteristics of the mentor delivering guidance in an online GSH for eating disorders
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