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

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...

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Main Authors: Sungjoong Kim, Sung Kyum Cho, Sarah Prusoff LoCascio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: ANPOR Korea 2020-08-01
Series:Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2020.8.3.297
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author Sungjoong Kim
Sung Kyum Cho
Sarah Prusoff LoCascio
author_facet Sungjoong Kim
Sung Kyum Cho
Sarah Prusoff LoCascio
author_sort Sungjoong Kim
collection DOAJ
description 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 (*βf*=.286), followed by prediction of COVID-19 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.
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spelling doaj-art-2d2596d6bad14a93bff2e6dfd14ba4b82025-08-20T03:45:27ZengANPOR KoreaAsian Journal for Public Opinion Research2288-61682020-08-018310.15206/ajpor.2020.8.3.297The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South KoreaSungjoong KimSung Kyum ChoSarah Prusoff LoCascioThe 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 (*βf*=.286), followed by prediction of COVID-19 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.https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2020.8.3.297
spellingShingle Sungjoong Kim
Sung Kyum Cho
Sarah Prusoff LoCascio
The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South Korea
Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
title The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South Korea
title_full The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South Korea
title_fullStr The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South Korea
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South Korea
title_short The Role of Media Use and Emotions in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19 in South Korea
title_sort role of media use and emotions in risk perception and preventive behaviors related to covid 19 in south korea
url https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2020.8.3.297
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