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http://dx.doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2020.8.3.297

The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South Korea  

Kim, Sungjoong (Chungnam National University)
Cho, Sung Kyum (Chungnam National University)
LoCascio, Sarah Prusoff (CAPORCI, Chungnam National University)
Publication Information
Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research / v.8, no.3, 2020 , pp. 297-323 More about this Journal
Abstract
The relationship between compliance with behaviors recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and media exposure, negative emotions, and risk perception was examined using regression analyses of data from KAMOS, a nationally representative survey of South Korean adults. The strongest predictor of preventive behaviors in general was negative emotions, which had the largest βh (.22) among the independent variables considered. The eight negative emotions, identified using factor analysis of a series of 11 emotions, were anger, annoyance, fear, sadness, anxiety, insomnia, helplessness, and stress. Negative emotions themselves were influenced most strongly by the respondent's anxiety over social safety (βe=.286), followed by prediction of COVID-10 spread (β=.121, p<.001) and perceived risk of COVID-19 infection (β=.70, p=.023). Females (β=-.134) and those who felt less healthy (βo=-.097) experienced more negative emotions. Media exposure and increased media exposure both have significant relationships with negative emotions and both a direct and indirect impact on the adoption of preventive measures. Women, older people, and healthier people perceived greater risks and engaged in more preventive behaviors than their counterparts.
Keywords
COVID-19; risk perception; South Korea; KAMOS; negative emotions; media exposure; preventive behavior;
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