Perceived haze, stress, and negative emotions: An ecological momentary assessment study of the affective responses to haze

The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of stress in the association between people’s perceived haze and negative emotions in daily life. Using ecological momentary assessment, 95 college students reported their perceived haze, stress, and negative emotions twice a day over the course of 2 weeks. The results showed a positive relationship between perceived haze and negative emotions. More importantly, this association was significantly mediated by levels of stress. Findings suggested that people who perceived more severe haze may report higher stress levels, which in turn may lead to increases in negative emotions.