Negative Disclosure Research Articles

Exploring preferences and support needs for disclosing 47, XXY status: A qualitative study of adults with XXY.

There are minimal guidelines regarding the disclosure of XXY, otherwise called Klinefelter syndrome, in healthcare or within the family. The increased use of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to screen for fetal aneuploidy and sex chromosomes bolsters the importance of providing genetic counselors, other healthcare professionals (HCPs), and parents with XXY-led disclosure information. The aim of this qualitative study was to discern the preferences of adults of XXY in the disclosure of XXY status across the lifespan to best inform the clinical and social aspects of their care. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with adults with XXY to gain their perspective on healthcare and support needs, the impact their care has had on their perception and acceptance of XXY, as well as their disclosure preferences across age groups. Interviews were coded and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis through a social constructivist lens, from which four themes were generated: (1) lack of support within the healthcare system affects quality of care; (2) stigma and shame impacts XXY individuals' decisions to disclose information to others; (3) communication of XXY genetic results to children should be thoughtful and age-appropriate; and (4) attention to psychosocial needs is integral to comprehensive care. Novel findings of this study, which include the detrimental impacts of negative disclosure experiences on relationships with HCPs and self-identity, underscore specific clinical and social support needs for individuals with XXY. This study highlights the need for specialized support across one's lifespan, particularly within interdisciplinary clinics staffed by HCPs knowledgeable about the overall health of individuals with XXY. Participants stress the importance of empathetic delivery of XXY status and discussions on sex and gender to mitigate shame and stigma. Advocating for ongoing support services, including referrals to specialists and mental health resources, participants also endorse a personalized approach to childhood disclosure by parents, or in collaboration with HCPs, aiming to preserve trust, empower the child, and consider their maturity level. This study emphasizes the importance of providing tailored support to individuals with XXY, prioritizing informed decision-making, emotional well-being, and holistic care.

Gender Nonconformity, Minority Stress, and Psychological Distress Among Sexual Minority Adolescents.

Purpose: Sexual minority adolescents (SMAs) have disproportionate experiences of mental health symptoms during adolescence, and minority stress contributes to mental health inequities among SMAs. Gender nonconformity (GNC) could place SMAs at higher risk for minority stress and subsequent mental health symptoms. The current study was designed to examine associations between GNC, minority stress, and psychological distress among SMAs. Method: SMAs ages 12-17 years (n = 455; mean age = 15.52 years) in the United States completed a cross-sectional online survey from February to July 2022, including measures of GNC, peer victimization, family rejection, negative expectations, negative disclosure experiences, internalized homonegativity, and psychological distress. We conducted path analysis to examine associations between GNC, minority stressors, and psychological distress, including indirect effects of GNC on psychological distress via minority stress. Results: In multivariable path analysis adjusted for demographic characteristics, GNC was associated with higher levels of peer victimization and negative expectations and lower internalized homonegativity among SMAs. Higher levels of peer victimization and negative expectations were associated with higher psychological distress. GNC was indirectly related to higher levels of psychological distress via higher peer victimization. Conclusions: The current study is the first to document associations between GNC and multiple minority stress experiences among SMAs, and GNC was indirectly related to psychological distress among SMAs via peer victimization. Although all SMAs would benefit from interventions designed to reduce peer victimization and increase their capacity to cope with minority stress, such interventions may be particularly beneficial for SMAs who are gender nonconforming.

Torpedo Your Competition: Strategic Reporting and Peer Firm IPO

ABSTRACT A firm’s initial public offering (IPO) generates negative externalities for industry competitors. To mitigate this threat, incumbent firms manage their earnings downward, issue more negative management forecasts, and use a more negative disclosure tone when their industry peers file for an IPO. Negative accruals reverse when the threat subsides. Incumbents manage earnings more aggressively when costs are small and benefits are large, and when they follow negative disclosures of industry leading incumbents. Such strategic disclosure lowers incumbent firm valuation multiples and associates with more negative IPO firm media sentiment. IPO firms obtain lower offer prices, raise less capital, and are more likely to withdraw from the offering. They also invest less, hoard more cash, and experience lower profitability post-IPO, whereas incumbents experience higher profitability and market share growth. Our results highlight the role of strategic reporting on product market competition and identify a new cost of going public.

Legitimacy and anti-corruption disclosures: insights into the early effects of the European Non-Financial Reporting Directive

Purpose This study aims to investigate corporate anti-corruption disclosure (ACD) strategies during the regulative debate surrounding the European Directive 2014/95/EU which for the first time regulated ACD in Europe. By using a legitimacy framework, it assesses whether companies improved proactively their voluntary ACD during the transposition phase to address potential regulatory changes. Moreover, it investigates how organizational and institutional factors influence companies’ reaction. Design/methodology/approach This paper hand-collected ACD data (quantity, scope, quality and transparency) from non-financial reports for the years 2010–2015 for a set of 56 (28 EU and 28 non-EU) companies (336 firm-years observations). The study applies difference-in-difference analysis to assess the effects of the debate. Moreover, it tests the association of ACD with organizational and institutional attributes. Findings The study shows that EU-companies are proactively changing their disclosures. The response is positively influenced by industry exposure to corruption-risks and by lower government corruption, while self-reported negative disclosure impacts negatively. Further, lower government corruption increases the effects of industry exposure to corruption-risks. However, the impacts vary with the disclosure metric. Originality/value Besides reinforcing legitimacy as a driving-force in shaping ACD during the transition phase to a regulated context, the paper integrates traditional legitimacy arguments with insights related to the institutional context. This contributes to improving the understanding of the empirical setting where the production of regulation occurs and can support future regulative processes.

Administrative penalties and corporate CSR disclosure strategies

AbstractCorporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure is an important way for firms to achieve social goals. As stakeholders pay more attention to CSR performance, the CSR report strategy has attracted academic attention. Prior studies have stressed the important role of positive CSR disclosure strategies in a firm's reputation and market value, but our study shows different findings. Using a sample of China's A‐share listed firms from 2008 to 2019, we find a significant negative correlation between administrative penalties and the use of pictures and tables in CSR reports, which is more significant for firms being penalized rather than individuals in firms. Investor attention and agency costs provide a mechanism explanation. Heterogeneity analysis shows that in regions with a low level of legal institutions, the effects of administrative penalties on the use of pictures and tables in CSR reports are more significant. Nevertheless, the seemingly negative disclosure strategy ultimately contributes to corporate value.

Expressing the good in bad times: Examining whether and why positive expressivity in negative contexts affects romantic partners' responsive support provision.

Receiving high-quality, responsive support in times of distress is critical but difficult. In a theoretical review, we previously proposed a process model that explains why support-seekers' positive expressivity can elicit-but may sometimes suppress-supportive responses from partners (providers) within distress-related contexts. In the current work, we aimed to test direct and indirect pathways linking seeker's positive expressivity in negative disclosures to provider's support while addressing notable gaps in the existing literature. Studies considered seeker-expressed positivity as broad, unitary construct (Studies 1, 2, and 4) and explored different types of positivity (Studies 1, 3, and 4): partner-oriented positivity (e.g., gratitude), stressor-oriented positivity (e.g., optimism), and unspecified positivity (e.g., pleasant demeanor). In behavioral observation studies of romantic couples (Studies 1 and 4), seeker-expressed positivity in negative disclosures positively predicted provider responsiveness, even when controlling for seeker-expressed negativity and other plausible third variables. Online experiments with manipulations of seeker-expressed positivity (Studies 2 and 3) yielded causal evidence of positivity's direct support-eliciting effects. Considering positivity types, partner-oriented positivity and stressor-oriented positivity showed the most robust support-eliciting potential; unspecified positivity also appeared valuable in some contexts. Evidence for several of the model's indirect pathways emerged in correlational (Study 4) and experimental (Studies 2 and 3) work, providing insights into support-eliciting and support-suppressing mechanisms through which positivity operates. These findings underscore support-seekers' active role in obtaining support, highlight the value of positive expressivity for eliciting high-quality support, and lay the groundwork for further research on positive expressivity's effects in support-seeking contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring Transparency–Sustainability Linkage: Analysis of CSR Disclosures

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is a strategy for communicating sustainability data to stakeholders. Sharing data with stakeholders is the key to the effectiveness and validity of CSR. However, the often-voluntary nature of CSR disclosure reporting results in perceived bias. Consequently, the relationship between CSR disclosure transparency and the sustainable character of a company remains unclear. The article suggests a methodology for evaluating corporate transparency through t-value analysis. The t-value analysis of CSR reports from Corporate Knights’ 2021 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations quantifies the total number of negative disclosures in a CSR report. This research shows a lack of correlation (p value = .805) between observable levels of transparency and third-party sustainability rankings amongst the sustainability elite of the corporate world.

Every action has a reaction: A model of coworker reactions to sexual minority employees' identity disclosure

AbstractThe current study examines the predictors and consequences of the ways coworkers react following sexual identity disclosure. We propose that employees may experience different reactions following disclosure depending on their social and sexual identities and that such reactions will impact their job attitudes, well‐being, and subsequent identity concealment. Data were collected from 308 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and pansexual employees using a two‐wave field survey design. Results for the predictors of coworker reactions indicate that employees who identified as Black, transgender/genderqueer, or bisexual/pansexual reported they experienced more unsupportive reactions from their coworkers following the disclosure of their sexual identity as compared to White, cisgender, and gay/lesbian employees. Supplemental analyses further indicate that Black bisexual/pansexual employees experienced the least positive reactions from coworkers as compared to the other referent groups. Results examining the outcomes of coworker reactions demonstrate that positive disclosure reactions are associated with decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover intentions, emotional exhaustion, and subsequent identity concealment, whereas negative disclosure reactions are associated with increased depressive symptoms and emotional exhaustion. Findings demonstrate a need to expand on conceptual and empirical work on identity disclosure to consider coworker reactions and underscore that the disclosure experiences of sexual minority employees are not uniform.

Does negativity matter under the principle-based approach? Evidence from narrative reporting in the UK

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the association between negative tone in annual report narratives and future performance in the UK context. Under the principle-based approach in the UK, managers tend to bias the tone of narrative reports upward, as the reporting regime is more flexible than the rule-based approach in the USA. Consequently, any negative disclosure not mandated by regulators conveys credible information about a firm’s prospects.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a sample of UK FTSE all-share non-financial companies from 2010 to 2019. The authors use the textual-analysis approach based on Loughran and McDonald (2011)’s wordlist (LM) to measure the negative tone in UK annual reports.FindingsThe results show a significant negative association between negative tone and future performance. Moreover, our further analyses suggest that only the negativity in the executive section of the annual disclosures correlates significantly with future performance. In summary, this study suggests that negativity does matter under the principle-based approach and can be used as an indicator of future performance.Originality/valueIn contrast to the literature arguing that only positivity has the power to affect a firm’s outcomes under the principle-based approach, the authors provide new empirical evidence suggesting that negativity also matters within the UK context and can be used as an indicator for future performance. Also, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to identify which section of the annual report is more informative about a firm’s future performance.

“I was just so confused, like does this even count as sexual assault?”: understanding LGBTQA+ sexual victimization, help-seeking, and mental health outcomes

ABSTRACT Most research on sexual victimization centres on cisgender, heterosexual experiences and pushes LGBTQA+ experiences to the margins. The current study focuses on queer experiences of sexual victimization and subsequent help-seeking behaviours and mental health outcomes. Fifteen in-depth interviews with queer identifying individuals who experienced sexual violence were conducted and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. A total of 32 incidents of sexual violence were discussed across the 15 participants. Findings indicate that negative disclosure responses from others, as well as normalizing and rationalizing experiences of sexual violence, are detrimental to help-seeking behaviour. Incidents that involved sexually minoritized women and heterosexual men were met with more positive disclosure responses than incidents that occurred between two sexually minoritized women. Additionally, lesbians experienced more supportive reactions to disclosure than bisexual and queer women. Mental health professionals who were knowledgeable and experienced in both trauma and LGBTQA+ related issues had the most impact on improved health and well-being for queer survivors of sexual violence.

Collective Bargaining and Strategic Disclosure in Earnings Conference Calls

Prior studies provide evidence that unionized firms tend to have more negative disclosure than non-unionized firms. These studies interpret this behavior as managers of unionized firms manipulating disclosure to gain an advantage in collective bargaining but do not directly test this assumption. An alternative explanation is that unionized firm managers disclose their union-deflated prospects. Using measures designed to represent disclosure manipulation, we find that (a) managers of unionized firms tend to script their answers in conference calls to a greater extent when union-related proprietary costs are higher, (b) unionized firm managers actively cast earnings calls with unfavorable analysts before labor negotiations, and (c) when union-related proprietary costs are higher, a larger share of managers’ negative language occurs in sentences with linguistic cues of deception. Our findings suggest that managers of unionized firms manipulate disclosure to mitigate union-related proprietary costs.

Experiences and challenges of using community health worker-led mechanism in supporting HIV disclosure among adults living with HIV in heterosexual relationships in the rural Uganda

BackgroundHIV status disclosure among sexual partners is vital in HIV management. Community health workers (CHW) support HIV disclosure among adults living with HIV (ALHIV) in sexual relationships with disclosure difficulties. However, experiences and challenges of using CHW-led disclosure support mechanism were not documented. This study explored experiences and challenges involved in using CHW-led disclosure support mechanism among ALHIV in heterosexual relationships in the rural Uganda.MethodsThis was a phenomenological qualitative study involving in-depth interviews among CHWs and ALHIV with HIV disclosure difficulties to sexual partners in greater Luwero region, Uganda. We conducted 27 interviews among purposively selected CHWs and participants who had participated in the CHW-led disclosure support mechanism. Interviews were conducted until saturation was reached; and analysis was done using inductive and deductive content analysis in Atlas.ResultsAll respondents viewed HIV disclosure as an important strategy in HIV management. Provision of adequate counseling and support to those intending to disclose was instrumental for successful disclosure. However, fear of the negative disclosure outcomes was viewed as a barrier to disclosure. The CHWs were viewed as having an added advantage in supporting disclosure as opposed to the routine disclosure counseling. However, HIV disclosure using CHW-led support mechanism would be limited by possible bleach of client’s confidentiality. Therefore, respondents thought that appropriate selection of CHWs would improve their trust in the community. Additionally, providing CHWs with adequate training and facilitation during the disclosure support mechanism was viewed to improve their work.ConclusionCommunity health workers were viewed as being more supportive in HIV disclosure among ALHIV with disclosure difficulties to sexual partners compared to routine facility based disclosure counseling. Therefore, near location CHW-led disclosure mechanism was acceptable and useful in supporting HIV disclosure among HIV-affected sexual partners in rural settings.

Board characteristics and negative disclosure tone

PurposeNegative disclosure tone in 10-K annual reports has economic consequences, yet relatively little is known about how it is generated. Boards of directors play an important governance role with respect to mandatory disclosures and personally sign off on Form 10-K, leading us to expect directors to influence financial reporting narratives. This study investigates whether the negative tone of firms' narrative annual report disclosures is associated with the human and social capital of its board of directors.Design/methodology/approachMultivariate regression analyses of negative disclosure tone (Loughran and McDonald, 2011) on board members' average age, gender, education, financial expertise and turnover is performed. A host of supplemental tests to corroborate our primary analysis, including using Sarbanes-Oxley's financial expert mandate as an exogenous shock to board composition, impact threshold for a confounding variable, placebo analysis, portfolio tests of more and less negative disclosing firms and portfolio tests of “loud” versus “quiet” boards are conducted.FindingsEvidence that directors' gender, education, financial expertise and board turnover are associated with more negative disclosure tone, while directors' age is associated with less negative disclosure tone is found. The study also looked within the board to differentiate whether these findings are driven by characteristics of inside directors or outside directors serving on the audit committee, or both, as these are the specific groups of directors we would expect to play a role in disclosure. It was found that negative disclosure tone is associated with a lower bid-ask spread, so this study interpreted more negative tone as containing more descriptive information.Originality/valueThis study helps decode the “black box” of annual report disclosure tone, which Loughran and McDonald (2011) show has important economic implications. The results help inform stakeholders such as policymakers, executives and capital market participants as to how board member traits are associated with disclosure. The findings are particularly important as this study bears witness to the increasing prominence of gender/diversity mandates (e.g. Israel, Norway, California) and financial expertise mandates (e.g. Sarbanes-Oxley).

Police officer perspectives on the challenges of investigating sexual assault

ABSTRACT Police officers have an important role in attaining justice for survivors of sexual assault, yet investigations are complex, and survivors identify negative disclosure experiences with the police. Public discourse highlights the failure of police in sexual assault cases, yet little attention has been given to the perspectives of police officers and the challenges they face in the processing of sexual assault cases. This qualitative study explored the first-hand accounts of police officers who investigate sexual assault. Thematic analysis uncovered three themes including: 1) Luck of the Draw: Who Gets the Case? 2) Lack of Evidence: How Do We Proceed? and 3) Case Classifications: What is ‘Unfounded’ Anyway? Uncovering the compassionate approach of officers committed to assisting sexual assault survivors may counteract negative discourse and promote a victim-centered approach. Implications for increased training and organizational support for police officers may mitigate investigative challenges through a victim-centered police response to sexual assault.

‘It is a hard decision’: a qualitative study of perinatal intimate partner violence disclosure

BackgroundPerinatal intimate partner violence is a hidden under reported and difficult to identify problem which has negative effects on mother and child. The present study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators of perinatal intimate partner violence disclosure.MethodsThis qualitative study was carried out from October 2019 to January 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Participants included 23 abused women (11 pregnant and 12 after birth) which were selected via purposive sampling. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussion were conducted until the data saturation was achieved. The data analysis was performed based on conventional content analysis adopted by Graneheim & Lundman.ResultsThe main themes “barriers to disclosure” and “facilitators of disclosure” were emerged as the result of data analysis. Barriers to disclosure included negative disclosure consequences and protection of family privacy. Facilitators of disclosure included maternal self-efficacy, threats to security, and formal and informal supportive networks.ConclusionsMost abused women did not disclose violence despite routine screening for perinatal intimate partner violence in antenatal care. Recognizing the barriers to and facilitators of violence disclosure play an important role in eliminating barriers, strengthening facilitators, providing effective supportive services for abused women, and reducing perinatal violence. Focus on the barriers to and the facilitators of disclosure will be useful to policymakers, health program planners, and health care providers to identify and manage intimate partner violence, appropriately.

Workplace Mental Health Disclosure, Sustainable Employability and Well-Being at Work: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Military Personnel with Mental Illness

Purpose Disclosure of mental illness to a supervisor can have positive (e.g. supervisor support) and negative consequences (e.g. stigma). However, research on the association between disclosure and sustainable employability and well-being at work is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the disclosure decision (yes/no), experiences with the decision (positive/negative) and sustainable employment and well-being at work among military personnel with mental illness (N = 323). Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted. Descriptive and regression (linear and ordinal) analyses were performed. Comparisons were made between those with positive and negative disclosure experiences. Results Disclosure decision (yes/no) was not significantly associated with any of the measures of sustainable employability and well-being at work. However, positive disclosure experiences were significantly associated with higher scores on almost all measures of sustainable employability and well-being at work. Those with negative disclosure experiences reported significantly more shame (Mpos = 2.42, Mneg = 2.78, p < .05) and discrimination (Mpos = 1.70, Mneg = 2.84, p < .001). Those with a positive disclosure experience, reported significantly more supervisor support (Mpos = 3.20, Mneg = 1.94, p < .001). Conclusion We did not find evidence that the disclosure decision itself is related to measures of sustainable employment and well-being at work. In contrast, how participants had experienced their (non-)disclosure decision was significantly related to almost all measures. This emphasizes the importance of the work environments reactions to disclosure and mental illness in the workplace. Future research and interventions should focus on increasing the likelihood of positive disclosure experiences through creating a more inclusive work environment, with more supervisor support and less stigma.

Disclosure Committees: Implications for Disclosure Quality and Timeliness

ABSTRACT To help companies comply with the certification requirements under Section 302 of SOX, the SEC recommends issuers form a disclosure committee. In this study, we examine the effects of disclosure committees on disclosure quality and timeliness. We find that the presence of disclosure committees is associated with higher quality and more timely corporate disclosure. In addition, we provide evidence that the benefits of disclosure committees on disclosure quality are greater if membership detail is publicly revealed and that benefits of the committee may be greatest for firms that experience a negative disclosure event. Lastly, we provide evidence that disclosure committees are associated with higher quality earnings announcements and lower likelihood of receiving a severe SEC comment letter. Collectively these results suggest disclosure committees are not merely ‘window dressing’, a conclusion with implications for practitioners, regulators, and academics interested in improving corporate disclosure practices.

Social Reactions to Substance-Involved Sexual Assault Disclosure: Does Recipient Matter?

Victims of substance-involved sexual assault often experience worse post-assault outcomes than other sexual assault victims. These outcomes may be exacerbated by their heightened risk of receiving negative reactions when disclosing their assault to informal disclosure recipients, such as friends, family members, and intimate partners. To date, little research has explored the associations between informal disclosure recipient and receipt of positive and negative reactions among victims of substance-involved sexual assault. Our sample included data about 400 victims of substance-involved sexual assault (91% women; 30% minors) who visited an anonymous sexual assault hotline and discussed reactions received during their first disclosure to an informal support provider. Using logistic regressions, we examined how the type of informal recipient to whom the victim disclosed was associated with receipt of positive and negative reactions, controlling for individual and situational characteristics (e.g., victim gender, perpetrator). Negative reactions were more common than positive reactions (65% vs. 47% of victims, respectively). Victims who disclosed to family members had lower odds of receiving positive reactions and higher odds of receiving negative reactions than those who disclosed to friends and intimate partners. Results support previous research that victims of substance-involved sexual assault commonly receive negative disclosure reactions, especially when disclosing to family members. Future work is needed to identify best strategies for improving support providers' responses to sexual assault disclosure, such as recent interventions focused on educating potential recipients about how to respond to disclosures. Further, our results highlight the utility of sexual assault hotlines as a data source for understanding the disclosure experiences of stigmatized victims underrepresented in traditional research.

Telephone survey to identify factors predicting willingness to enroll in biomarker studies and disclosure‐related outcomes

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnostics is evolving rapidly, moving toward biomarker‐based diagnoses characterized by amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration. To clarify benefits and risks of using this framework with cognitively unimpaired adults, particularly those from groups under‐represented in AD biomarker research, we developed a 30‐minute telephone survey to identify factors predicting willingness to enroll in biomarker studies and hypothetical disclosure‐related outcomes.MethodExisting scales were modified for telephone administration to assess experience/concern about AD, perceived health, health locus of control, brain health social norms, trust in medical research, and experiences of discrimination. Five hypothetical scenarios assessed willingness to participate in biomarker studies with or without results disclosure. Three open‐ended items provided qualitative data on willingness to participate and share results with others. Forty‐one items assessed reasons for learning results and potential reactions following a hypothetical elevated result. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate response patterns. Thematic analysis of open‐ended items was conducted using an inductive coding method.ResultCognitively unimpaired participants (N=334) included 148 Black/African Americans and 186 non‐Hispanic Whites; aged 45‐89; Table 1). Most participants had cared for someone with dementia (73%), desired to know if they will develop AD (82%) and trust medical research (mean RAQ‐7 = 30/35) (Table 2). Approximately 50% were very or extremely willing to participate in biomarker studies regardless of results disclosure; however, African Americans were less willing to participate if results were not disclosed. Common themes related to willingness to participate and learn results included wanting to know if at personal risk or to prevent/plan for AD and wanting to support science or help others. Misgivings/anxiety about knowing biomarker and concerns about invasiveness or lack of a cure for AD were common themes for those less willing (Table 3).ConclusionThis survey assesses AD‐relevant, health, and experiential factors, willingness to participate in biomarker research, and disclosure‐related outcomes. Initial results suggest understanding risk, prevention/planning behaviors, and helping others are reasons for participating and learning biomarker results. Results may also inform recruitment of African Americans into biomarker studies. Future analyses will investigate factors predicting potential positive (e.g., planning, risk‐reducing behavior) and negative (psychological distress/stigma) disclosure outcomes.

Passive social media use and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of social comparison and emotion regulation

Social media browsing is commonly seen as a trigger of unhealthy social comparison (i.e., upward contrast), which negatively affects well-being. One underlying assumption is the predominance of positive self-presentation on social media, which may have shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic when negative disclosures have become more prevalent. In this study, we conceptualize social comparison as a multi-dimensional construct based on different comparing targets and processes, and explore how individual (i.e., cognitive reappraisal) and contextual (i.e., quarantine status) factors may influence the relationships among passive social media use, social comparison and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on a survey with 1131 Wuhan residents in China, we found that passive social media use was positively related to both upward contrast and downward identification, which in turn predicted a higher level of stress. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated with unhealthy social comparison (i.e., upward contrast and downward identification) but was positively related to healthy social comparison such as upward identification. Quarantined people tended to report more upward contrast, especially when they engaged in more frequent social media browsing. This study contributes to the larger debate about the impact of social media on mental health and offers practical implications.