Social Psychological Measurements of COVID-19: Coronavirus Perceived Threat, Government Response, Impacts, and Experiences Questionnaires

Abstract

Major journals have sounded the call for social psychologists to do research on the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Such research is only as good as the measurements used. Across three studies (total n = 984), we developed a battery of social psychology-relevant questionnaires to measure COVID-19 phenomena: (1) Perceived Coronavirus Threat Questionnaire, (2) Governmental Response to Coronavirus Questionnaire, (3) Coronavirus Impacts Questionnaire, and (4) Coronavirus Experience Questionnaire. Exploratory (Study 1) and Confirmatory (Studies 2 and 3) Factor Analyses revealed excellent factor structures for the one-factor Perceived Coronavirus Threat, the six-factor Governmental Response Questionnaires, and the three-factor Coronavirus Impacts Questionnaire. The three-factor Coronavirus Experience Questionnaire yielded poorer psychometric properties overall. Given that brevity is often desired for online studies, we further recommend psychometrically sound short versions of each questionnaire. Taken in total, this work offers social psychology researchers a battery of questionnaires to measure Coronavirus-related phenomena for the duration of the pandemic in U.S. participants.

Drinking to cope with the pandemic: The unique associations of COVID-19-related perceived threat and psychological distress to drinking behaviors in American men and women

“…Perceived threat related to COVID-19 was assessed with the Perceived Coronavirus Threat Questionnaire -Short version (Conway et al, 2020). This measure included three items: "Thinking about the coronavirus (COVID-19) makes me feel threatened," "I am afraid of the coronavirus (COVID-19)," and "I am stressed around other people because I worry I'll catch the coronavirus (COVID-19)" (α = 0.91).…”

“…Psychological distress related to COVID-19 was assessed with the Psychological subscale of the Coronavirus Impacts Questionnaire -Short version (Conway et al, 2020). This included two items: "I have become depressed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19)" and "The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted my psychological health negatively" (α = 0.90).…”

Mental distress and its associations with behavioral outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey of Chinese adults

“…Factors related to COVID-19 pandemic included impact on family income (great impact, slight impact, and no impact), impact on daily life due to nancial di culties during the COVID-19 pandemic (great di culty, slight di culty, and no di culty), and loss of job due to COVID-19 (yes, no). All these items were based on a questionnaire developed by Conway and colleagues and used in previous surveys (17). Worry of contracting COVID-19 (not worried at all, a little worried, somewhat worried, and very worried) and perceptions about the likely of contracting COVID-19 (not at all likely, not that likely, somewhat likely, and very likely) were measured with respective single item adapted from a recent COVID-19 awareness, attitude, and action questionnaire (18).…”

Voice in the Emergency: The Analysis of Employee Voice During the Uk Coronavirus Shutdown

“…The previous studies, such as Djordjevic et al (2009), Kiely et al (2009) found that governments could force the boarders to close to limit people"s movements and limit the spread of a virus. A study by Conway et al (2020) found that the population acknowledged the government"s intervention of enforcing social distancing as good practice. Also, WHO (2020a) places the responsibility of limiting the virus transmission on country governments.…”

“…Hence these employees are at risk. Conway et al (2020) found that people are afraid of COVID-19, and they often feel threatened. Yet, these participants expressed that they have no say on what is happening.…”