scholarly journals Author Middle Initial Correction: "Desensitization to Fear-Inducing COVID-19 Health News on Twitter: Observational Study" (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Stevens ◽  
Yoo Jung Oh ◽  
Laramie D Taylor
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Health News ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
Death Toll ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Initial Correction ◽  
Over Time

BACKGROUND As of May 9, 2021, the United States had 32.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 (20.7% of confirmed cases worldwide) and 580,000 deaths (17.7% of deaths worldwide). Early on in the pandemic, widespread social, financial, and mental insecurities led to extreme and irrational coping behaviors, such as panic buying. However, despite the consistent spread of COVID-19 transmission, the public began to violate public safety measures as the pandemic got worse. OBJECTIVE In this work, we examine the effect of fear-inducing news articles on people’s expression of anxiety on Twitter. Additionally, we investigate desensitization to fear-inducing health news over time, despite the steadily rising COVID-19 death toll. METHODS This study examined the anxiety levels in news articles (n=1465) and corresponding user tweets containing “COVID,” “COVID-19,” “pandemic,” and “coronavirus” over 11 months, then correlated that information with the death toll of COVID-19 in the United States. RESULTS Overall, tweets that shared links to anxious articles were more likely to be anxious (odds ratio [OR] 2.65, 95% CI 1.58-4.43, P<.001). These odds decreased (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.2-0.83, P=.01) when the death toll reached the third quartile and fourth quartile (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21-0.85, P=.01). However, user tweet anxiety rose rapidly with articles when the death toll was low and then decreased in the third quartile of deaths (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37-1.01, P=.06). As predicted, in addition to the increasing death toll being matched by a lower level of article anxiety, the extent to which article anxiety elicited user tweet anxiety decreased when the death count reached the second quartile. CONCLUSIONS The level of anxiety in users’ tweets increased sharply in response to article anxiety early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the casualty count climbed, news articles seemingly lost their ability to elicit anxiety among readers. Desensitization offers an explanation for why the increased threat is not eliciting widespread behavioral compliance with guidance from public health officials. This work investigated how individuals' emotional reactions to news of the COVID-19 pandemic manifest as the death toll increases. Findings suggest individuals became desensitized to the increased COVID-19 threat and their emotional responses were blunted over time.

scholarly journals Desensitization to Fear-Inducing COVID-19 Health News on Twitter: Observational Study

10.2196/26876 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. e26876
Author(s):  
Hannah R Stevens ◽  
Yoo Jung Oh ◽  
Laramie D Taylor
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Coping Behaviors ◽  
Health News ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
Death Toll ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Over Time

Background As of May 9, 2021, the United States had 32.7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 (20.7% of confirmed cases worldwide) and 580,000 deaths (17.7% of deaths worldwide). Early on in the pandemic, widespread social, financial, and mental insecurities led to extreme and irrational coping behaviors, such as panic buying. However, despite the consistent spread of COVID-19 transmission, the public began to violate public safety measures as the pandemic got worse. Objective In this work, we examine the effect of fear-inducing news articles on people’s expression of anxiety on Twitter. Additionally, we investigate desensitization to fear-inducing health news over time, despite the steadily rising COVID-19 death toll. Methods This study examined the anxiety levels in news articles (n=1465) and corresponding user tweets containing “COVID,” “COVID-19,” “pandemic,” and “coronavirus” over 11 months, then correlated that information with the death toll of COVID-19 in the United States. Results Overall, tweets that shared links to anxious articles were more likely to be anxious (odds ratio [OR] 2.65, 95% CI 1.58-4.43, P<.001). These odds decreased (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.2-0.83, P=.01) when the death toll reached the third quartile and fourth quartile (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21-0.85, P=.01). However, user tweet anxiety rose rapidly with articles when the death toll was low and then decreased in the third quartile of deaths (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37-1.01, P=.06). As predicted, in addition to the increasing death toll being matched by a lower level of article anxiety, the extent to which article anxiety elicited user tweet anxiety decreased when the death count reached the second quartile. Conclusions The level of anxiety in users’ tweets increased sharply in response to article anxiety early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the casualty count climbed, news articles seemingly lost their ability to elicit anxiety among readers. Desensitization offers an explanation for why the increased threat is not eliciting widespread behavioral compliance with guidance from public health officials. This work investigated how individuals' emotional reactions to news of the COVID-19 pandemic manifest as the death toll increases. Findings suggest individuals became desensitized to the increased COVID-19 threat and their emotional responses were blunted over time.

Twitter Users Display Desensitization to Bad Health News: An Observational Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah R Stevens ◽  
Yoo Jung Oh ◽  
Laramie R Taylor
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Coping Behaviors ◽  
Health News ◽  
The Public ◽  
Death Toll ◽  
The Us ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Over Time

BACKGROUND Among the countries affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the US shows the highest number of confirmed cases (18.7 million, 23.5% of confirmed cases worldwide) and deaths (0.3 million, 18.9% of death worldwide) as of December 26, 2020. Early on in the pandemic, widespread social, financial, and mental insecurities led to extreme and irrational coping behaviors, such as panic buying. Yet, despite the consistent spread of COVID-19 transmission, the public have begun to violate public safety measures. From such observations, two key considerations arise. First, fear-eliciting health messages have a significant effect on eliciting motivation to take action in order to control the threat. However, repeated exposure to these messages over long periods results in desensitization to those stimuli. OBJECTIVE In this work, we examine the effect of fear-inducing news articles on people’s expression of anxiety on Twitter. Additionally, we investigate desensitization to the fear-inducing health news over time, despite the steadily rising COVID-19 death toll. METHODS This study examined the anxiety levels in news articles (n=1,465) and corresponding tweets containing “COVID,” “COVID-19,” “pandemic,” and “coronavirus” over 11 months, then correlated that information with the death toll of COVID-19 in the United States. RESULTS Overall, tweets that shared links to anxious articles were more likely to be anxious. (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.58-4.43, p < .001). These odds decreased (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.2-0.83, p = .01) when the death toll reached the 3rd quartile and 4th quartile (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.21-0.85, p = .01). Yet tweet anxiety rose rapidly with articles when the death toll was low and then decreased in the 3rd quartile of deaths (OR .61, 95% CI 0.37-1.01, p=.058). As predicted, in addition to the increasing death toll being matched by a lower level of article anxiety, the extent to which article anxiety elicited tweet anxiety decreased when the death count reached the 2nd quartile. CONCLUSIONS Tweets increased sharply in response to article anxiety early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the casualty count climbed, news articles seemingly lost their ability to elicit anxiety among readers. This work investigated how individuals' emotional reactions to news of the COVID-19 pandemic manifest as the death toll increases. Findings suggest individuals became desensitized to the increased COVID-19 threat and their emotional responses were blunted over time.

The New Economic Populism and the Future of Inequality in the United States

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Franko ◽  
Christopher Witko
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Labor Unions ◽  
Republican Party ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Income Disparities ◽  
The Face ◽  
Over Time

The authors conclude the book by recapping their arguments and empirical results, and discussing the possibilities for the “new economic populism” to promote egalitarian economic outcomes in the face of continuing gridlock and the dominance of Washington, DC’s policymaking institutions by business and the wealthy, and a conservative Republican Party. Many states are actually addressing inequality now, and these policies are working. Admittedly, many states also continue to embrace the policies that have contributed to growing inequality, such as tax cuts for the wealthy or attempting to weaken labor unions. But as the public grows more concerned about inequality, the authors argue, policies that help to address these income disparities will become more popular, and policies that exacerbate inequality will become less so. Over time, if history is a guide, more egalitarian policies will spread across the states, and ultimately to the federal government.

Why Do People Migrate?

On the Move ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filiz Garip
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Family Ties ◽  
Small Minority ◽  
The Third ◽  
Majority Group ◽  
First Time ◽  
Over Time

This chapter provides an overview of the migration field, and a brief review of Mexico–U.S. migration flows up to 1965, the year the analysis here begins. It describes the data and methods that led the author to discover four groups among first-time migrants from Mexico to the United States between 1965 and 2010. The first cluster—mostly uneducated and poor men from rural communities—was the majority in the 1970s but dropped to a small minority by the 1990s. The second cluster—many of them teenage boys from relatively better-off families—peaked in the 1980s, becoming the majority group at that time, but declined consistently in size thereafter. The third cluster—mostly women with family ties to former migrants—was increasing slowly in size until it experienced a sudden spike in the early 1990s. And the fourth cluster—mostly educated men from urban areas—grew persistently over time, grabbing the majority status among all first-time migrants in the early 1990s.

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics to Design and Optimize a Novel Endovascular Procedure for Carotid Stenosis Repair

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Yeh ◽  
C. Alberto Figueroa ◽  
Andrea Les ◽  
Jacqueline P. Ho ◽  
Ronald Dalman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Carotid Artery ◽  
Carotid Arteries ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Third ◽  
Cerebral Blood Supply ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Over Time

The carotid arteries, located in both sides of the neck, are critical to supplying oxygenated blood to the brain. Over time, atherosclerotic plaque may accumulate in these vessels, causing them to narrow, which results in a reduced cerebral blood supply. This condition is known as carotid artery stenosis. In addition, small pieces of this plaque may become dislodged and travel to the brain, resulting in a stroke. Seven hundred thousand Americans suffer a stroke in the United States each year, and 150,000 cases are fatal, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States.

scholarly journals Beliefs about Mask Efficacy and the Effect of Social Norms on Mask Wearing Intentions for COVID-19 Risk Reduction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott E. Bokemper ◽  
Maria Cucciniello ◽  
Tiziano Rotesi ◽  
Paolo Pin ◽  
Amyn A. Malik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
The United States ◽  
Factual Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Do So

AbstractIn the absence of widespread vaccination for COVID-19, governments and public health officials have advocated for the public to wear masks during the pandemic. The decision to wear a mask in public is likely affected by both beliefs about its efficacy and the prevalence of the behavior. Greater mask use in the community may encourage others to follow this norm, but it also creates an incentive for individuals to free ride on the protection afforded to them by others. We report the results of two vignette-based experiments conducted in the United States and Italy to examine the causal relationship between beliefs, social norms, and reported intentions to engage in mask promoting behavior. We find that providing factual information about how masks protect others increases the likelihood that someone would wear a mask or encourage others to do so in the United States, but not in Italy. There is no effect of providing information about how masks protect the wearer in either country. Additionally, greater mask use increases intentions to wear a mask and encourage someone else to wear theirs properly in both the United States and Italy. Thus, community mask use may be self-reinforcing.

Thomas Jefferson

2020 ◽  
pp. 10-14
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Thomas Jefferson ◽  
Blue Ridge ◽  
University Of Virginia ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
Blue Ridge Mountains ◽  
Louisiana Purchase ◽  
The University

Both as a private citizen living at the foot of the eastern slope of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and as a public architect of nationhood, Thomas Jefferson witnessed and wrought extraordinary changes in a burgeoning nation. In 1774, Jefferson purchased 157 acres of land in Virginia, including Natural Bridge, for 20 shillings. This private purchase demonstrated Jefferson’s interest in protecting and utilizing the American landscape, echoed later in the public acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase, which Jefferson oversaw in 1803 as the third president of the United States. Jefferson’s particular dedication to Virginia is further evidenced by Monticello, his lifelong home and farm; Poplar Forest, his private retreat; and the University of Virginia, which he established and designed....

Notes on Local Loans

1905 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 387-414
Author(s):  
Thomas Kyd
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
The United States ◽  
Modern History ◽  
National Debt ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
Geometrical Progression ◽  
Louis Xvi ◽  
Vain Attempt

Public Debts, whether national or local, belong to modern history. Our National Debt dates from the Revolution of 1688. It is five years after that event until we find the item “Interest and Management of the Public Debt” figuring in the accounts of the Exchequer. At William's death in 1702 the debt was twelve millions, an amount which was increased threefold during the twelve years of the reign of Anne. George the First's thirteen years raised our national obligations to fifty-two millions, while by 1760, when George the Second died, they exceeded one hundred millions. During the long reign of George the Third the burden swelled enormously. The rise was just a geometrical progression, from twelve to a hundred millions in fifty-eight years, and from one to nine hundred millions in the sixty years succeeding. The explanation, of course, is war. We spent a hundred millions in a vain attempt to compel the allegiance of the United States, and more than eight hundred millions in avenging Louis XVI., overthrowing Napoleon, and restoring the Bourbons to the throne of France.

scholarly journals Experimental evidence that changing beliefs about mask efficacy and social norms increase mask wearing for COVID-19 risk reduction: Results from the United States and Italy

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258282
Author(s):  
Scott E. Bokemper ◽  
Maria Cucciniello ◽  
Tiziano Rotesi ◽  
Paolo Pin ◽  
Amyn A. Malik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Do So

In the absence of widespread vaccination for COVID-19, governments and public health officials have advocated for the public to wear masks during the pandemic. The decision to wear a mask in public is likely affected by both beliefs about its efficacy and the prevalence of the behavior. Greater mask use in the community may encourage others to follow this norm, but it also creates an incentive for individuals to free ride on the protection afforded to them by others. We report the results of two vignette-based experiments conducted in the United States (n = 3,100) and Italy (n = 2,659) to examine the causal relationship between beliefs, social norms, and reported intentions to engage in mask promoting behavior. In both countries, survey respondents were quota sampled to be representative of the country’s population on key demographics. We find that providing information about how masks protect others increases the likelihood that someone would wear a mask or encourage others to do so in the United States, but not in Italy. There is no effect of providing information about how masks protect the wearer in either country. Additionally, greater mask use increases intentions to wear a mask and encourage someone else to wear theirs properly in both the United States and Italy. Thus, community mask use may be self-reinforcing.

scholarly journals U.S. Energy Independence With Lower Emissions

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
Wes Williams ◽  
Balasundram Maniam ◽  
Geetha Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Energy Independence ◽  
Hydrogen Fuels ◽  
Over Time

Energy Independence as well as concern for carbon emissions are policy topics that have been frequently discussed on the public stage. This paper analyzes the possibility of creating an energy portfolio that will achieve energy independence while reducing carbon emissions and how that portfolio is likely to change over time. Domestic oil, hydrogen fuels, domestic natural gas, hydropower, wind power, solar power, and nuclear power are the fuels discussed to make up the energy portfolio that will eliminate the United States dependence on foreign oil while reducing the carbon emissions generated during the production of energy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document