Estimated probabilities of positive, vs. negative, events show separable correlations with COVID-19 preventive behaviours. (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Booth, Robert W.; Peker, Müjde; Yavuz, Burak Baran; Aksu, Ayca
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 191(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: Optimism -- Pessimism -- Health behaviours -- COVID-19 -- Psychopathology; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111576
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Abstract: Research has associated optimism with better health-protective behaviours, but few studies have measured optimism or pessimism directly, by asking participants to estimate probabilities of events. We used these probability estimates to examine how optimism and/or pessimism relate to protecting oneself from COVID-19. When COVID-19 first reached Turkey, we asked a snowball sample of 494 Istanbul adults how much they engaged in various COVID-protective behaviours. They also estimated the probabilities of their catching COVID-19, and of other positive and negative events happening to them. Estimated probability of general positive events (optimism) correlated positively with officially-recommended helpful behaviours (e.g. wearing masks), but not with less-helpful behaviours (e.g. sharing 'alternative' COVID-related information online). Estimated probabilities of general negative events (pessimism), or of catching COVID, did not correlate significantly with helpful COVID-related behaviours; but they did correlate with psychopathological symptoms, as did less-helpful COVID-related behaviours. This shows important nuances can be revealed by measuring optimism and pessimism, as separate variables, using probability estimates.