Impact of pandemic proximity and media use on risk perception during COVID-19 in China

Shu-huan, Zhou

doi:10.1080/19475705.2021.2003875

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 61 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It has been established that social media platform exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic predicted public risk perceptions and anxiety (Jiang, 2021;Marpaung et al, 2021;Vaterlaus et al, 2021;Quansah et al, 2022d;Zhou, 2022). These experiences negatively undermined the effort of government and health agencies to control the effects of the COVID-19 disease.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the moderating role of information seeking platforms on university students' risk perception and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionThe emergence of COVID-19 resulted in heightened usage of online information seeking platforms among students aimed at obtaining information about the virus. This situation further increased the levels of risk perception and anxiety levels as students managed to stay safe. This study examined the roles of information seeking platforms; specifically, social media platforms and professional platforms as moderators of the link between risk perception and anxiety among university students in Ghana.MethodsParticipants were recruited from two universities in Ghana; namely, University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and University of Cape Coast (UCC) through a survey approach. The study conveniently sampled 778 participants who completed a set of questionnaires.ResultsThe study results revealed that COVID-19 risk perception was positively related to anxiety. Further, the use of specific online information platforms significantly moderated the link between risk perception and anxiety. Specifically, social media platforms significantly moderated the relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and anxiety level. Primarily, students who utilized social media as a COVID-19 information source reported high anxiety levels in the presence of high-risk perception compared to those who did not use social media. Additionally, professional platform usage acted as a buffer in the positive link between COVID-19 risk perception and anxiety levels. In the presence of high risk perception, students who used professional platforms, compared to those who did not use professional platforms, showed significantly low anxiety levels.ConclusionsThe findings suggest the key role social media and professional platforms played in shaping students' perceptions of COVID-19. These outcomes call for the swift scrutiny of health-related information obtained from social media platforms. Both users and disseminators of health-related information on social media platforms have the responsibility of verifying the credibility of whichever information they post and/or access. Risk perception should also be an integral part of effective risk communication planning in educational institutions during outbreak of diseases.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the moderating role of information seeking platforms on university students' risk perception and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The use of social media platforms is associated with higher levels of psychological and social anxiety regarding potential risks, consequently leading to increased risk perception. Moreover, research indicates that the use of new media (both official and unofficial sources) affects the public’s perception of risk ( Zhou, 2022 ). Specifically, frequent exposure to epidemic information through new media platforms is linked to higher risk perception ( Li et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of the intensity of media use on potential tourists’ risk perception and travel protective behavioral intentions in COVID-19

Sun,

Ye,

Tang

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionIn light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased need for potential travelers to gather information about their trips to mitigate perceived risks. This study aims to understand the relationship between the intensity of media use (both new and traditional), epidemic risk perception, and tourism protection behavior intention among potential tourists.MethodsA total of 491 valid questionnaires were collected in Shanghai, China. Factor analysis, path analysis, and effect analysis were conducted using SPSS and AMOS to examine the impact of different media types on epidemic risk perception and tourism protection behavior.ResultsThe findings indicate a positive association between new media use intensity and epidemic risk perception, as well as an intention to adopt safety-conscious tourism behaviors. In contrast, traditional media usage is inversely associated with risk perception but has no significant influence on protective behavior. The results also highlight the role of demographic factors, such as age, education level, occupation, and income, in modulating the relationship between media usage and risk perception.DiscussionThe contrasting effects of new and traditional media suggest the need for a tailored approach in epidemic communication strategies. Public health officials should leverage new media to enhance risk perception and safety-oriented behaviors, while recognizing the role of traditional media in managing lower risk perceptions and assuaging panic. The study emphasizes the importance of personalized messaging based on demographic disparities in media usage and perception. The mediating role of risk perception in shaping protective behaviors offers insights for promoting adherence to safety protocols.ConclusionThis study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of media influences during health crises, emphasizing the responsibility of media platforms in transmitting accurate information. The findings call for a nuanced approach to epidemic communication, considering the strengths and weaknesses of different media types. Segmented and personalized messaging strategies can cater to demographic variations in media usage and perception. Enhancing risk perception through tailored messaging can promote protective behaviors and effectively manage public sentiment during health crises.

show abstract

“…The spatial association is significant for health crisis perception. Pandemic proximity refers to the proximity to the pandemic in terms of the geographical environment, community, and infected populations [27]. A previous study found that the "distance proximity effect", signifying an individual's physical or psychological distance to an epicenter, affects their perception of the pandemic [28].…”

Section: The Moderating Effect Of Pandemic Proximitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in Emotional Valence and Social Media Content Engagement Behaviors in Pandemic Diaries: An Analysis Based on Microblog Texts

Feng

Иванов

2022

Behavioral Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are individualized, which means that our emotions and behaviors would experience changes of different degrees. These changes have led to subtle connections within the social media context. This study concentrates on pandemic diaries posted on microblog sites during the lockdown period in China and explores the association between gender, emotional valence in diaries, and social media content engagement behaviors. Through computational methods, this study found that males and females tended to present significantly different emotional valence and social media content engagement behaviors. A negative correlation existed between emotional valence and comment behavior in female diary texts. Moreover, the pandemic proximity had a moderating effect on emotional valence and social media content engagement behaviors. This article attempts to explain the emotional and behavioral characteristics related to social media diaries and express concerns for the emotional health of disadvantaged blog users in the severely affected area during the pandemic.

show abstract

Impact of pandemic proximity and media use on risk perception during COVID-19 in China

Cited by 11 publications

References 61 publications

Evaluating the moderating role of information seeking platforms on university students' risk perception and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

Evaluating the moderating role of information seeking platforms on university students' risk perception and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

The impact of the intensity of media use on potential tourists’ risk perception and travel protective behavioral intentions in COVID-19

Gender Differences in Emotional Valence and Social Media Content Engagement Behaviors in Pandemic Diaries: An Analysis Based on Microblog Texts

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About