Query: self-control in covid-19 pandemic

title: High Boredom Proneness and Low Trait Self Control Impair Adherence to Social Distancing Guidelines during the COVID 19 Pandemic
abstract: Social distancing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic is crucial to reduce the spread of the virus. However, its effectiveness hinges on adherence by individuals who face substantial burdens from the required behavioral restrictions. Here, we investigate sources of individual variation in adhering to social distancing guidelines. In a high powered study (N 895) we tested direct and indirect effects of boredom and self control on adherence. The results showed that both traits were important predictors of adherence but the underlying mechanisms differed. Specifically, individuals high in boredom perceived social distancing as more difficult, which in turn reduced their adherence (i.e. a mediated effect) In contrast, individuals high in self control adhered more to the guidelines without perceiving them as more or less difficult; however, self control moderated the effect of difficulty on adherence. Our results are immediately relevant to improve the efficacy of social distancing guidelines in the COVID 19 response.

title: An Investigation of Self Control and Self Regulation as Mechanisms Linking Remote Communication to Employee Well Being during the Covid 19 Pandemic
abstract: Since the COVID 19 outbreak, organizations had to adapt overnight to remote virtual work. For most employees, one of the fundamental changes, associated with this adaptation is the shift to virtual work and associated remote communication. Whereas before the pandemic this way of communicating was an alternative to face to face communication during the pandemic it has become the preferred if not the only form of work related communication with supervisors, colleagues, and individuals outside of the organization (i.e. customers, suppliers, etc. While previous research on virtual work and associated remote communication has predominantly focused on how remote communication affects employees' productivity its impact on employee well being has not been explored yet. To support organizations and societies alike in promoting employee well being during and after the COVID 19 pandemic it is thus necessary to expand our understanding of the impact of different forms of remote communication on employee well being. Accordingly, the present research addresses this research question by examining the impact of remote communication on employee well being.

title: Loneliness and problematic mobile phone use among adolescents during the COVID 19 pandemic: The roles of escape motivation and self control.
abstract: In this cross sectional study, we explored the relationship between loneliness and problematic mobile phone use among Chinese adolescents during the COVID 19 pandemic, considering the effects of escape motivation and self control. We recruited 1034 adolescents (mean age 15.76 1.20 years) from China. The results showed that loneliness was positively associated with escape motivation and adolescent problematic mobile phone use. Furthermore, when controlling for gender, escape motivation mediated the relationship between loneliness and problematic mobile phone use, and self control moderated the relationship between escape motivation and problematic mobile phone use. Specifically, as self control increased, escape motivation was less likely to induce problematic mobile phone use. Thus, loneliness and escape motivation may be factors that increase the risk of problematic mobile phone use, and self control should be considered in prevention and intervention strategies aimed at attenuating adolescent problematic mobile phone use.

title: Antecedents of Public Mental Health During the COVID 19 Pandemic: Mediation of Pandemic Related Knowledge and Self Efficacy and Moderation of Risk Level
abstract: COVID 19 affects not only patients' physical health but also their mental health. For the general public, although their physical health may not be directly affected, their mental health may be affected by stress, anxiety, and social panic caused by COVID 19. Controlling the pandemic should focus on not only physical health but also mental health. For the general public, mental health is even more important, as good mental health at the individual level can form a positive social mentality conducive to pandemic prevention and control. Therefore, it is important to assess mental health during the pandemic, and analyze risk and protective factors.  A self compiled COVID 19 Social Mentality Questionnaire was used to conduct an online survey. A total of 16,616 participants responded, with 13,511 valid questionnaires.  Results showed that 10.7% of participants rated their mental health as "worse than usual" during the pandemic, and there were gender, age, and educational differences. Social support was positively correlated with pandemic related knowledge and self efficacy, and could indirectly predict mental health. Pandemic related knowledge was positively correlated with self efficacy and mental health, and risk level was negatively correlated with mental health. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that pandemic related knowledge played a partial mediating role in the relationship between social support and self efficacy, while self efficacy played a complete mediating role in the relationship between social support and mental health. Logistic regression analysis showed that risk level moderated the relationship between self efficacy and mental health.  Social support can increase pandemic related knowledge, thus improving self efficacy and maintaining/promoting mental health. High risk levels can undermine the role of self efficacy in promoting mental health. Therefore, in the fight against the COVID 19, people need to support and cooperate with each other, to improve self efficacy and reduce risk, thus maintaining and promoting mental health.

title: Individual differences in social distancing and mask wearing in the pandemic of COVID 19: The role of need for cognition, self control and risk attitude
abstract: In the United States, while the number of COVID 19 cases continue to increase, the practice of social distancing and mask wearing have been controversial and even politicized. The present study examined the role of psychological traits in social distancing compliance and mask wearing behavior and attitude. A sample of 233 U.S. adult residents were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants completed scales of social distancing compliance, mask wearing behavior and attitude, need for cognition, self control, risk attitude, and political ideology. Epidemiological information (seven day positive rate and the number of cases per 100,000) was obtained based on the state participants resided in. As a result, epidemiological information did not correlate with social distancing compliance mask wearing. Political ideology, on the other hand, was a significant factor, with a more liberal tendency being associated with greater engagement in social distancing compliance and mask wearing behavior an attitude. Importantly, those who were more risk averse, or had a higher level of self control or need for cognition practiced more social distancing and mask wearing, after controlling for demographics, epidemiological information, and political ideology. Furthermore, for mask wearing behavior, political ideology interacted with both need for cognition and self control. Collectively, the study revealed the psychological roots of individual differences in social distancing and mask wearing compliance.

title: Does Self Efficacy and Emotional Control Protect Hospital Staff From COVID 19 Anxiety and PTSD Symptoms? Psychological Functioning of Hospital Staff After the Announcement of COVID 19 Coronavirus Pandemic
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the hospital staff, as well as to identify protective factors of COVID 19 anxiety once the coronavirus pandemic was announced in Poland.  90 healthcare workers from the hospital in Poland completed validated self report questionnaires assessing self efficacy, emotional control, and PTSD symptoms; a questionnaire assessing COVID 19 anxiety; and a socio demographic questionnaire. A multiple linear regression was conducted to assess the effects of gender, being directly vs indirectly exposed to patients, and general self efficacy on COVID 19 anxiety.  The analysis showed that female (b 0.271, p 0.01) healthcare professionals indirectly exposed to patients (b 0.336, p 0.01) and those who reported lower levels of general self efficacy (b 0.295, p 0.01) have a stronger tendency to experience COVID 19 anxiety [R2 0.301, F(3,89) 12.34, p 0.01]  The findings show the importance of self efficacy for dealing with COVID 19 anxiety. The internal coping strategies should be introduced to healthcare workers.

title: Impact of Divergent Thinking Training on Teenagers' Emotion and Self Efficacy During the COVID 19 Pandemic
abstract: Currently due to the COVID 19 pandemic, young people are experiencing a decrease in self efficacy and an increase in mental illness. Though previous studies have shown that self efficacy and divergent thinking training are positively related, little is known about the impact of divergent thinking training on self efficacy and emotions. Therefore, our study seeks this answer to support teenagers injured psychologically during disastrous periods. We randomly assigned 70 students to a 2 (time: pretest, post test) x 2 (groups: divergent thinking training, controlled) mixed design. Participants in the experimental group were given a 9 day divergent thinking training with the theme of "writing down 10 novel functions of the mask," while those in the control group spent 10 min each day recording what they ate. The self efficacy, anxiety, depression, and stress of two groups were measured before and after training. Results showed that, compared to the control group, self efficacy ceased decreasing while anxiety decreased for the experimental group. These findings confirm the positive effect of divergent thinking on teenagers. Implications and limitations are discussed.

title: Boredom in the COVID 19 pandemic: Trait boredom proneness, the desire to act, and rule breaking
abstract: The state of boredom presents a conundrum: When bored, we want to engage with an activity, but we don't want to engage with whatever is currently available. This conflict is exacerbated when external factors impose restrictions on the range of behaviors we can engage in, which is precisely the scenario we are currently facing, at a global level, during this period of social isolation in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. We collected data from 924 North American participants (530 Male, Mean age 37.7 years) using the internet based Mturk platform to examine the relation between self reports of boredom proneness (using the Short Boredom Proneness Scale) and individual responses to questions about compliance with social distancing requirements during the COVID 19 pandemic. Our sample replicated recent findings in boredom research, including a negative correlation between boredom proneness and self control. We also provide novel evidence that highly boredom prone people have been more likely to break the rules of social isolation in a variety of ways (e.g. fewer hours spent in social isolation, poor adherence to social distancing as evidenced by increased likelihood of holding a social gathering and coming into proximity with more people than recommended) We further demonstrated that boredom proneness substantially mediates the association between self control and rule breaking. These results indicate that boredom proneness is a critical factor to consider when encouraging adherence to social isolation.

title: Worsening of Preexisting Psychiatric Conditions During the COVID 19 Pandemic
abstract: To ascertain factors associated with worsening of psychiatric conditions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic.  This study anonymously examined 2,734 psychiatric patients worldwide for worsening of their preexisting psychiatric conditions during the COVID 19 pandemic. An independent clinical investigation of 318 psychiatric patients from United States was used for verification.  Valid responses mainly from 12 featured countries indicated self reported worsening of psychiatric conditions in two thirds of the patients assessed that was through their significantly higher scores on scales for general psychological disturbance, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression. Female gender, feeling no control of the situation, reporting dissatisfaction with the response of the state during the COVID 19 pandemic, and reduced interaction with family and friends increased the worsening of preexisting psychiatric conditions, whereas optimism, ability to share concerns with family and friends, and using social media like usual were associated with less worsening. An independent clinical investigation from the United States confirmed worsening of psychiatric conditions during the COVID 19 pandemic based on identification of new symptoms that necessitated clinical interventions such as dose adjustment or starting new medications in more than half of the patients.  More than half of the patients are experiencing worsening of their psychiatric conditions during the COVID 19 pandemic.

title: Stress, Anxiety, and Change in Alcohol Use During the COVID 19 Pandemic: Findings Among Adult Twin Pairs
abstract: The novel coronavirus (COVID 19) has impacted the lives of people worldwide since being declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Social restrictions aimed at flattening the curve may be associated with an increase in stress and anxiety, which may increase the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism. The objective of this study was to examine if stress and anxiety were associated with changes in alcohol use in a sample of adult twins. Twins allowed us to control for genetic and shared environmental factors that would confound the alcohol mental health relationship. Twins (N 3,971; 909 same sex pairs) from the Washington State Twin Registry (WSTR) completed an online survey examining several health related behaviors and outcomes and their self reported changes due to COVID 19. About 14% of the respondents reported an increase in alcohol use. We found an association between both stress and anxiety and increased alcohol use, where twins with higher levels of stress and anxiety were more likely to report an increase in alcohol consumption. The associations were small and confounded by between family factors and demographic characteristics. However, there was no significant difference in stress or anxiety levels between non drinkers and those who reported no change in alcohol use. Our findings suggest that individuals' mental health may be associated with changes in alcohol use during the COVID 19 pandemic.