Psychological insights into information processing during times of crisis.

Abstract

The diffusion of accurate knowledge about diseases in the population is of critical concern to public health officials. This is because an informed public should be in a position to make better decisions, especially when these decisions impact other individuals, as is the case during pandemics. This article is aimed at presenting current research on the acquisition and propagation of medical knowledge in social networks under conditions of high perceived risk of viral infection. I will review recent psychological findings to show how anxiety associated with high perceived risk of infection could (a) negatively impact information processing, (b) activate motivational frames of processing, and (c) exacerbate the adoption of misinformation. Finally, I make specific recommendations for how to maximize accurate information dissemination and minimize the spread of misinformation.

Development and validation of the COVID-19 Impact Scale in Australia

“…However, their interpretation must also be informed by the psychosocial context within which the CIS network model was developed. Coman (2022) suggests that the combined experience of high levels of anxiety, risk, and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as generated by COVID-19-related financial hardship, and evident in those who are unable to sleep due to worrying about COVID-19, results in the (1) narrowing of our ability to effectively process relevant COVID-19 information, (2) increased levels of social fragmentation through motivational frames of processing, and (3) fuels the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 measures across social networks. This means that anxiety of Australians experiencing increased financial hardship related to COVID-19 (as measured by FH) and as indicated by disruptive sleep patterns (as measured by Ins) may increase their likelihood of exposure to misinformation (as suggested by SM scores), while at the same time increasing their vulnerability to taking up that misinformation (see also Leibovitz, Shamblaw, Rumas, & Best, 2021).…”

The Three Rs of Fear Messaging in a Global Pandemic: Recommendations, Ramifications and Remediation

“…Furthermore, it is well established in the psychological literature that amplification of emotion (i.e. of fear and anxiety) leads to people's narrowing of attention on emotional stimuli at the cost of learning and remembering health relevant information (Coman 2022;Rozin and Royzman 2001;Strange et al 2010). Therefore, excessive use of fear leads to a less rather than well-informed public during a time of crisis, and consequently, such use of excessive emotion should be avoided during a pandemic.…”

“…Furthermore, it is well established in the psychological literature that amplification of emotion (i.e. of fear and anxiety) leads to people's narrowing of attention on emotional stimuli at the cost of learning and remembering health relevant information (Coman 2022; Rozin and Royzman 2001; Strange et al. 2010).…”