Let’s Not Joke about It Too Much! Exposure to COVID-19 Messaging, Attitudes and Protective Behavioral Intentions

Abstract

Our study evaluates the role of exposure to COVID-19 messaging in negativity towards COVID-19 and the intentions to engage in protective behaviors. Building on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), we derive a mediation model and test it in a sample of 737 participants (556 Romanians and 181 Kazakhs). The exposure to general information concerning COVID-19 positively predicts negative attitudes, negative emotions and the emergence of subjective norms in relation to COVID-19, as well as the likelihood of engaging in protective behavioral intentions. The exposure to humoristic communication, however, diluted the positive association between exposure to general information and negative attitudes, as well as negative emotions. The results support the overall predictions of the TPB and report positive associations between negative attitudes towards COVID-19, subjective norms and behavioral control on the one hand, and protective behavioral intentions on the other. Negative emotions significantly predict the likelihood of engaging in protective behaviors. Our results also show that older respondents tend to develop more negative attitudes towards COVID-19, yet they do not report stronger intentions to engage in protective behaviors than younger respondents. An important emergent result shows that time lapse seems to increase negativity towards COVID-19, yet it does not directly increase the likelihood of engaging in protective behaviors. Implications for public health communication related to COVID-19 are discussed.

From warning messages to preparedness behavior: The role of risk perception and information interaction in the Covid-19 pandemic

“…Caserotti et al indicated that as Italy participants' risk perception increased, so did their willingness to accept the vaccine [31]. Furthermore, several social cognitive models have been successfully applied to interpret preparedness behavior in Covid-19, including the protection motivation theory (PMT), the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the health belief model (HBM) [8][9][10]32 To sum up, while the studies mentioned above provide valuable insights, it remains unclear how risk information, especially warning information, interacts with risk perception and whether their interaction has an impact on preparedness behaviors. Little attention has been given to an integrated information-perception-action mediation model to elucidate individual's precautions during Covid-19.…”

“…In the context of epidemics, an abundance of publications have investigated the influencing factors of risk perception and also have assessed the link between risk perception and precautionary behavior [7][8][9][10]. To date, a significant limitation of the existing studies is that they ignore the role of information especially warning that initiates the cognitive processes [11].…”

Development and Validation of a Short Measure of Emotional, Physical, and Behavioral Markers of Eustress and Distress (MEDS)

“…In other words, it generates an appraisal context in which the pandemic is less likely to be perceived as threatening and therefore stressful. Certainly, such an appraisal tendency may also have negative consequences when it tends to reduce the likelihood of engaging in protective behaviors [ 19 ]. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would expect that constant rumination about the dangers of the pandemic leads to distress and protective behaviors, while the use of humor in communication about COVID-19 leads to eustress.…”

“…In a recent paper, Merino et al [ 18 ] used positive and negative affect experienced in relation to COVID-19 quarantine as indicators of eustress and distress, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic is indeed a global stressor [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ] that can trigger either eustress or distress in the population [ 20 , 23 ]. We have put forward a more comprehensive multidimensional approach of measuring eustress and distress in academic and organizational settings by taking into consideration emotional, physical, and behavioral indicators that discriminate between the two complex psychological states.…”

A Study of Reasons for Self-Disclosure on Social Media among Chinese COVID-19 Patients: Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior Model

“…TPB has been extensively applied in studies related to various health behaviors, including alcohol consumption [32], tobacco use [33], healthy eating [34], physical exercises [35], health screening [36], and health information sharing [37]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, TPB has been frequently employed to investigate behaviors related to pandemic control [38], vaccination [39], physical exercises [40], healthy eating [41], health protective measures [42], health information-sharing [43], and other behaviors.…”