Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic
The earliest critical context of the pandemic, preceding the first real epidemiological wave of contagion in Bulgaria, was examined using a socio-affective perspective. A retrospective and agnostic analytical approach was adopted. Our goal was to identify traits and trends that explain public health...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/5/821 |
| _version_ | 1797600799081103360 |
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| author | Kristina Stoyanova Drozdstoy Stoyanov Angel M. Dzhambov |
| author_facet | Kristina Stoyanova Drozdstoy Stoyanov Angel M. Dzhambov |
| author_sort | Kristina Stoyanova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The earliest critical context of the pandemic, preceding the first real epidemiological wave of contagion in Bulgaria, was examined using a socio-affective perspective. A retrospective and agnostic analytical approach was adopted. Our goal was to identify traits and trends that explain public health support (PHS) of Bulgarians during the first two months of the declared state of emergency. We investigated a set of variables with a unified method within an international scientific network named the International Collaboration on Social & Moral Psychology of COVID-19 (ICSMP) in April and May 2020. A total of 733 Bulgarians participated in the study (67.3% females), with an average age of 31.8 years (SD = 11.66). Conspiracy Theories Beliefs were a significant predictor of lower PHS. Psychological Well-Being was significantly associated with Physical Contact and Anti-Corona Policy Support. Physical Contact was significantly predicted by fewer Conspiracy Theories Beliefs, higher Collective Narcissism, Open-mindedness, higher Trait Self-Control, Moral Identity, Risk Perception and Psychological Well-Being. Physical Hygiene compliance was predicted by fewer Conspiracy Theories Beliefs, Collective Narcissism, Morality-as-Cooperation, Moral Identity and Psychological Well-Being. The results revealed two polar trends of support and non-support of public health policies. The contribution of this study is in providing evidence for the affective polarization and phenomenology of (non)precarity during the outbreak of the pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:54:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bbb71dc09f5e4f19b18bfa61b1169173 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:54:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-bbb71dc09f5e4f19b18bfa61b11691732023-11-18T00:43:20ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252023-05-0113582110.3390/brainsci13050821Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus PandemicKristina Stoyanova0Drozdstoy Stoyanov1Angel M. Dzhambov2Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Research Group “Translational and Computational Neuroscience”, Strategic Research and Innovation Program for Development of MU-Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, BulgariaResearch Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Research Group “Translational and Computational Neuroscience”, Strategic Research and Innovation Program for Development of MU-Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, BulgariaDepartment of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, BulgariaThe earliest critical context of the pandemic, preceding the first real epidemiological wave of contagion in Bulgaria, was examined using a socio-affective perspective. A retrospective and agnostic analytical approach was adopted. Our goal was to identify traits and trends that explain public health support (PHS) of Bulgarians during the first two months of the declared state of emergency. We investigated a set of variables with a unified method within an international scientific network named the International Collaboration on Social & Moral Psychology of COVID-19 (ICSMP) in April and May 2020. A total of 733 Bulgarians participated in the study (67.3% females), with an average age of 31.8 years (SD = 11.66). Conspiracy Theories Beliefs were a significant predictor of lower PHS. Psychological Well-Being was significantly associated with Physical Contact and Anti-Corona Policy Support. Physical Contact was significantly predicted by fewer Conspiracy Theories Beliefs, higher Collective Narcissism, Open-mindedness, higher Trait Self-Control, Moral Identity, Risk Perception and Psychological Well-Being. Physical Hygiene compliance was predicted by fewer Conspiracy Theories Beliefs, Collective Narcissism, Morality-as-Cooperation, Moral Identity and Psychological Well-Being. The results revealed two polar trends of support and non-support of public health policies. The contribution of this study is in providing evidence for the affective polarization and phenomenology of (non)precarity during the outbreak of the pandemic.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/5/821psychological predictorspublic health supportpsychological well-beingconspiracy theories beliefsprecarityontological uncertainty |
| spellingShingle | Kristina Stoyanova Drozdstoy Stoyanov Angel M. Dzhambov Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic Brain Sciences psychological predictors public health support psychological well-being conspiracy theories beliefs precarity ontological uncertainty |
| title | Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic |
| title_full | Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic |
| title_short | Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic |
| title_sort | retrospective analysis of the psychological predictors of public health support in bulgarians at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic |
| topic | psychological predictors public health support psychological well-being conspiracy theories beliefs precarity ontological uncertainty |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/5/821 |
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