Personal Threat Research Articles

Evaluating the usefulness of Protection Motivation Theory for predicting climate change mitigation behavioral intentions among a US sample of climate change deniers and acknowledgers

BackgroundThis paper summarizes data from 7 studies that used Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to guide climate messaging with the goal of increasing climate-mitigating behavioral intentions. Together, the studies address 5 research questions. 1) Does PMT predict behavioral intentions in the context of climate change mitigation? 2) Does PMT work similarly for climate change deniers vs acknowledgers? 3) Are the effects of threat and efficacy additive or multiplicative? 4) Does adding measures of collective threat and efficacy improve the model accuracy for a collective problem like climate change? 5) Can threat and efficacy appraisals – and ultimately behavioral intentions – be shifted through climate messaging?MethodsSeven online experiments were conducted on US adults (N = 3,761) between 2020 and 2022. Participants were randomly assigned to a control condition or to one of several experimental conditions designed to influence threat, efficacy, or both. Participants indicated their belief in climate change, ethnicity, gender, and political orientation. They completed measures of personal threat and efficacy, collective threat and efficacy, and behavioral intentions.ResultsMultiple regressions, ANCOVAs, and effect sizes were used to evaluate our research questions. Consistent with PMT, threat and efficacy appraisals predicted climate mitigation behavioral intentions, even among those who denied climate change. Different interactions emerged for climate deniers and acknowledgers, suggesting that in this context threat and efficacy are not just additive in their effects (but these effects were small). Including measures of collective threat and efficacy only modestly improved the model. Finally, evidence that threat and efficacy appraisals can be shifted was weak and inconsistent; mitigation behavioral intentions were not reliably influenced by the messages tested.ConclusionsPMT effectively predicts climate change mitigation behavioral intentions among US adults, whether they deny climate change or acknowledge it. Threat appraisals may be more impactful for deniers, while efficacy appraisals may be more impactful for acknowledgers. Including collective-level measures of threat and efficacy modestly improves model fit. Contrary to PMT research in other domains, threat and efficacy appraisals were not easily shifted under the conditions tested here, and increases did not reliably lead to increases in behavioral intentions.

Danger, Nuisance, Disregard: Analyzing User-Generated Videos for Augmented Reality Gameplay on Hand-held Devices

Augmented Reality (AR) has been largely deployed on smartphones in recent years. AR gaming, featured with geo-reference, is anchored to our real-world environments. Nevertheless, designing such AR user interaction in-the-wild is under-explored. Therefore, we examined 242 YouTube videos regarding AR gameplay, primarily Pokémon GO, (1) to reveal personal and social threats during gameplay, and (2) to identify how such threats connect to the user and spatial contexts. Our video analysis generalises the threats, including but not limited to hitting bystanders, falling off a cliff, car crashes, crowds and blockages, and stampedes. Through video analysis, we connect the threats with the user and spatial contexts. Subsequently, we propose several design tactics to deliver safe and nuisance-free AR usages in physical environments. Finally, we suggest strategies to consider large-scale deployment of AR at the levels of individuals and local communities, such as an auditable and accountable framework for user safety and social acceptability.

Two Paths to Violence: Individual versus Group Emotions during Conflict Escalation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Experiencing repression creates intense emotions and raises dilemmas about handling political action to achieve social change. Past studies suggest that mainly group-based emotions are associated with support for violent collective action while the exact influence of individual emotions remains unclear. This research compares the association of individual- versus group-based emotions with violent collective action while examining conflict context as the moderating factor. We propose to distinguish two context aspects—collective versus personal threat—determining the relative impact of individual versus group emotions on support for violence. We conducted two quantitative field studies in the Occupied Palestinian Territories during different types of conflict experience, defined by either prevalent personally experienced threat versus elevated collectively experienced threat (Study 1), or both (Study 2). Results indicate that for mainly collectively experienced threat, group (but not individual) emotions predicted violent collective action, while for personally experienced threat, individual (but not group) emotions predicted violent engagement.

Effects of threat sensitivity and issue concern on candidate preference

ABSTRACT There is extensive debate in the literature over the link between threat and political attitudes – while some find evidence that threat and threat sensitivity lead to political conservatism, others find that the effect of threat is more contextual. We contribute to this debate by theorizing that the link between threat and politics is based on both individual differences and political rhetoric. First, sensitivity about personal threats predicts greater concern about political threats as well. This issue concern may in turn be directed toward either conservatism or liberalism through political rhetoric and elite positioning. Using one observational and one experimental survey of American adults conducted in 2018 and 2023, we find consistent evidence that personal threat sensitivity increases issue concern regardless of the specific issue or its partisan ownership, and independent of partisanship or ideology. This increased issue concern does not produce a uniformly conservative shift – rather, an increase in concern about “Republican” issues leads to greater preference for Republican candidates, and vice versa for Democrats. The relationship between threat sensitivity and political attitudes is thus best understood as a contextual one.

The Quest for a “Soft Life” and the Transition into Adulthood: Views from South African Emerging Adult Students

Gaining financial independence is a prominent marker of adulthood. This study explored the experiences of a group of South African students (MAge = 22.24), with a specific focus on how the psychological tasks of emerging adulthood are embedded in the socio-economic context. Through the thematic analysis of 26 interviews, participants’ hopes, fears, and well-being (while managing student life shaped by an economically contentious situation) were unpacked. Considering the academic, personal, and social threats in their quests for independence, participants appreciated the support from parents, the university, and funders. Despite financial obstacles, they portrayed a strong personal commitment and resilience to excel academically, be financially liberated, and break the cycle of poverty. Hardship inspired dreams to secure a better future, a ‘soft life’, for themselves and others. Findings are discussed in juxtaposition with the responsibility of institutions to ensure a just society where emerging adults can flourish into financially stable adulthoods and futures.

The Politicization of Climate Science: Media Consumption, Perceptions of Science and Scientists, and Support for Policy

Differential media treatment of climate change, including conservative media’s tendency to reject the anthropogenic climate change scientific consensus, has reinforced polarized perceptions of climate change. Studies have found differences in coverage patterns and in perceptions among those relying more heavily on conservative rather than liberal or moderate media. This scholarship has been limited by narrow measurements of media exposure, climate-related outcomes, and the mechanism of effects. We analyzed nationally representative US data (N = 1,181) using measures that included not only reported use of mainstream print, cable, and social media captured in past research, but also science programming, as well as far-right, alternative-health, and Christian media. On average, participants relied more heavily on centrist and liberal media, followed by Fox News and social media. The results corroborate findings associating exposure to centrist media with pro-climate attitudes, and conservative media, including Fox News with the opposite views. Use of far-right outlets was associated with the lowest levels of belief in anthropogenic climate change, perceptions of personal threat, and support for climate-friendly policy. Reliance on science media was associated with pro-climate views. Most associations were mediated via perceptions of science and scientists (using the Factors Associated with Self-Presentation of Science, FASS scale).

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED BY THE POLICE OFFICERS IN CRIME PREVENTION IN TABUK CITY, KALINGA

This study generally determined the challenges encountered by police officers in crime prevention in Tabuk City, Kalinga. The study specifically aimed to determine the specific challenges faced by police officers in effectively preventing crime regarding personal, family, and community relations and resources. Additionally, it sought to investigate the coping mechanisms of police officers to manage the challenges associated with their role in crime prevention. The study used a qualitative-narrative research design, and an interview guide was used to collect the data. The researcher used purposive sampling to select seven participants based on the specific characteristics or criteria relevant to the research questions. Through the use of inductive thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data, the result revealed that police officers had encountered challenges during the implementation of crime prevention. It includes the impact of duty and personal relationships, threats and attacks, and cultural sensitivity and diversity regarding personal obstacles. Lack of time, high risk and stress, role modeling, and guidance regarding family challenges. Maximum tolerance, community engagement, concealment of criminals, and wrong perception regarding community challenges. Resource challenges require more funds and adequate equipment and vehicles. However, through proactive coping mechanisms, police officers attempted to overcome these obstacles. It concluded that the difficulties encountered by police officers in effectively preventing crime were complex and multifaceted, and they required a holistic approach that prioritized officers' well-being and could better fulfill their mission of promoting public safety. KEYWORDS: Problem encountered, coping mechanism, personal and family challenges, community and resources challenges, police officers

Penyuluhan Penggunaan ITE dan Batasan Batasanya Kepada Siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas

The ITE Law or Electronic Information and Transaction Law is a law that regulates electronic information and transactions. The ITE Law was first passed through Law No. 11 of 2008 before finally being revised with Law No. 19 of 2016. The stages of this counseling implementation are carried out for approximately 1 hour. In general, the implementation of activities is: Coordination and communication with the school to obtain a general description of students and identify problems that will be the basis for determining the theme of the activity. School students are one of the largest users of social media from the community, whose age range is 13-20 years. Which psychological condition at that age is still unstable in finding identity. With the ITE law, there are certain rules and restrictions on using social media, including the spread of immoral content, gambling, insults, blackmail / threats; the spread of fake news/hoaxes; personal threats of violence; unlawfully hacking someone else's electronic system; and so on. In addition, there are precautions so that we avoid ITE violations, namely being wise in social media, crosschecking the information obtained, not entering vulnerable personal data on social media, not using sentences that contain elements of sara.

United as one? Personal and social identity threats differentially predict cooperation and prejudice toward minorities

ABSTRACT Global threats are often identified as triggers of intergroup conflict. However, personal vs. social identity threats can differently shape intergroup relations – enhancing or decreasing cooperation and prejudice. We tested the idea that appraisals of different types of threat (to personal vs. social identity motives) shape specific representations of intergroup relations (as one-group recategorization or separate-group coalition), which have opposing implications for modern prejudice toward ethnic minorities. In four studies (N = 2,772) performed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found evidence that personal threats were negatively associated with modern prejudice and this relation was mediated by preferences for separate group-representations, whereas social identity threats were positively associated with modern prejudice and mediated by preferences for one group representations.

Economic Threats, Political and National Identification Predict Affective Polarization: Longitudinal Evidence From Spain

Economic threats, along with political identities and ideologies, are associated with affective polarization. However, there is still a need to learn more about the consequences of different economic threats and identities fueling polarization. We take a longitudinal perspective in testing the influence of these phenomena on affective polarization. Specifically, we tested the effect of subjective personal and collective economic threats and political, national, regional, and European identities on affective polarization towards politicians and partisans in Spain. We use four waves of the E-DEM panel study from Spain (N = 2,501) collected between 2018 and 2019. We conducted longitudinal multilevel analyses to determine the growth in affective polarization and included predictors at the between- and within-person levels. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that collective economic threats, such as perceiving more unfairness in the distribution of wealth and being dissatisfied with the Spanish economy, positively predict affective polarization. Contrary to our expectations, personal economic threats did not predict affective polarization. Furthermore, political and national identities positively predicted affective polarization towards politicians and partisans. Interestingly, exploratory analyses suggested that the associations between economic threats, identities, and affective polarization are moderated by political ideology. We discuss how economic threats and identities may exacerbate animosities toward political actors.

Who worries about microplastics? The relative importance of personal values and individual risk judgements / ¿A quién le preocupan los microplásticos? La importancia relativa de los valores personales y los juicios individuales de riesgo

An online survey was distributed to a national sample of the Norwegian public ( N = 699) to investigate factors associated with the extent to which people worry about microplastics. Respondents were asked about their familiarity with and the extent to which they worry about the issue, after which they answered a battery of questions about their perceptions of risk and personal values. Microplastics were judged to be moderately known, somewhat uncontrollable, very threatening to humankind, and even more so to plants and animals. Perceived personal threat was lower than that to plants, animals and humankind. Regression analyses predicted worry about microplastics from sociodemographic variables and personal values, and from different aspects of people’s risk perceptions. Gender, age group and endorsing self-transcendence over self-enhancement values predicted greater worry, yet these variables were not significantly associated when risk perceptions were included in the regression model. These findings shed further light on how individual risk judgements can explain self-reported levels of worry about microplastics, beyond individual differences in personal values.

Perceived technological threat and vote choice: evidence from 15 European democracies

The political consequences of workplace technological adoption have become a focus of recent party politics research. This article contributes to this literature by directly examining how the perceived threat of technological change relates to support for populist and non-populist left and right parties. It does so in two ways: first, by examining subjective rather than objective automation exposure, and second by distinguishing between personal and collective threat perceptions. Using vote choice data from 15 European countries, this article shows that subjective perception of personal automation exposure relates to increased support for left parties and decreased support for populist-right parties, while concern over collective risk relates to increased support for the populist right. These patterns suggest that fear of workplace technological change elicits both material and status concerns. The article concludes with counterfactual analyses demonstrating that both non-populist and populist left-wing parties could benefit by mobilizing voters who feel personally threatened by automation.

Risks of psychological traumatization and stress adaption of medical staff working under war conditions (analytical literature review)

Medical and psychological consequences of war have a destructive impact on mental health during the hostilities and after their cessation and determine a wide variety of different psychogenic disorders in an individual who was in the territory of hostilities. The purpose of the work is to analyze and summarize scientific literature data on the issue of mental traumatization of the medical staff under the conditions of working during war conflicts. The article is concerned with the analytical literature review, the analysis of experience of studying features of psychoemotional state of the medical workers and people who were in the territory of hostilities, and delivering medical and psychological aid to them. The features of psychological responsiveness of the individuals who participated in war conflicts and possible consequences of mental health damage are described. Scientific data on mental state of medical staff working under the conditions of the war conflict are limited. Most studies are concerned with military personnel and civilians. During war conflicts, medical workers face with chronic stress factors and take their own personal risk that may lead to deterioration of mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder. International studies have shown that, regardless of the specialty, doctors who are working in stress situations, including war, have an increased risk of depression compared to civil population in general due to high risk of burnout. The incidence of depression among doctors ranges from 11% to 47%. Military medics can suffer severe stress due to the increased risk of death or injuries of other people, and they are also directly or indirectly impacted by a common traumatic reality. The impact of injuries, deaths, sexual assaults, and personal threats jeopardize health of combat nurses who participate in military, huma­nitarian, and aid missions after natural disasters. As a result, they suffer from unfavorable mental consequences. Compassion fatigue, exhaustion, and post-traumatic stress disorder are common. The importance of medical and psychological aid aimed at decreasing stress and stabilizing psychoemotional state of the medical staff who are working under the conditions of war led to development of a large number of programs in various psychotherapeutic areas that have shown their high effectiveness.

Climate change perception and its association with cancer screening intent.

As the climate crisis deepens, its adverse effects on human health are becoming evident, including impacts on cancer pathogenesis and treatment. This study explored the link between individuals' awareness of the health impacts of climate change and interest in cancer screening. Using the 2021 Health Information National Trends Survey, our study demonstrated astatistically significant association between recognition of climate change as a personal health threat and interest in cancer screening. Although the study's retrospective nature and self-reported data pose some limitations, these findings signal a promising avenue for future research on the intersection of climate and cancer risk. This research supports the development of public health interventions that incorporate components of environmental health literacy alongside cancer screening efforts.

Data Security Management and Audit of Healthcare Data: A Case Study of SISPEC19 Project

Data security is the biggest challenge with personal data and state secrets threats. Digital transformation is increasing in various industries, including the government industry. One of the causes of this is the Covid19 pandemic which imposes conditions where all activities can be carried out smoothly even though they cannot interact directly. In this study, an analysis was carried out regarding auditing and data security management on health data in a government-owned health information system using the DAMA-DMBOK approach as a data governance standard. Then an audit is carried out to measure the success rate of implementing security on information systems using COBIT 2019 as a standard for IT governance.

An assessment of the health belief model (HBM) properties as predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviour

Abstract Background Public participation in preventive efforts is crucial in preventing infection and reducing mortality attributed to infectious diseases. The health belief model (HBM) suggests that individuals will likely participate in these efforts when experiencing a personal threat or risk, but only if the benefits of acting outweigh the risk or perceived barriers. Methods The current study explores the properties of the HBM as predictors of the public’s compliance with COVID-19 preventive behaviour. Quantitative data on HBM properties, COVID-19 preventive behaviour, socioeconomic (SES) and demographic characteristics were collected from a sample of 674 adults in Hamburg, Germany. Binary logistic regression was computed to examine the effect of the properties of HBM on COVID-19 vaccination. Multiple linear regression was calculated to investigate the impacts of HBM properties on the likelihood of participants’ face mask usage as a protective measure against COVID-19 infection. Results The logistic regression model was statistically significant, X2(13) = 149.096, p < .001. The specificity and sensitivity for the model is 58.1% and 99.4%, respectively. Similarly, the multiple regression model results showed a good fit for the data. F (13, 650) = 17.093, p < .001, and adjusted R2= .240, suggesting that HBM properties predict face mask usage. Conclusion This study’s findings provide robust evidence to recommend that the concerned public health professionals consider individuals’ health beliefs when designing an effective COVID-19 preventive programme. Public health messaging should consider highlighting the benefits of preventive actions and the potential lethality of COVID-19 to evoke an individual’s appropriate concern.

Threats to public health workers

Media reports and data from public health professional membership organizations have demonstrated high levels of harassment experienced by public health workers throughout the COVID-19 response. We documented personal and political threats to public health workers across the first 12 months of pandemic response through a longitudinal survey completed in Fall 2020 and Summer 2021. The web-based survey was distributed to respondents using the Qualtrics survey platform. Survey items measured domains including demographic information, public health roles and training, mental and physical health, and work-life balance. Respondents were also asked if they had received any personal or political threats, from whom these threats were received, and completed an open-ended question describing the nature of the threats. Among the 85 public health workers completing both surveys, threats from members of the public and from elected and appointed leaders were most prevalent at both timepoints; however, as the pandemic response progressed, the nature of threats to public health workers changed. While those remaining in the public health workforce may be more resilient to these threats, increased prevalence of personal and political threats has the potential to deter new graduates from entering the field, impacting the public health system's future response capacity.

Authoritarianism, perceptions of security threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic: A new perspective.

This article offers a new perspective on when and why individual-level authoritarian perceptions of security threats change. We reexamine claims that authoritarian members of the public responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in a counterintuitive fashion. The response was counterintuitive in that, rather than a desire for a stronger government with the ability to impose measures to address the pandemic and its consequences, authoritarian individuals rejected a stronger government response and embraced individual autonomy. The article draws on perceptions of security threats-issues that directly or indirectly harm personal or collective safety and welfare-from surveys in two different contexts in England: 2012, when perceptions of the threat from infectious disease was low relative to most other security threats, and 2020, when perceptions of the personal and collective threat of COVID-19 superseded all other security threats. We argue that the authoritarian response was not counterintuitive once we account for the type of threat it represented.

Trauma-related and risk factors associated with perceived exacerbation in psychological distress due to the Russo–Ukrainian war

This study examined trauma-related and other potential risk factors associated with perceived exacerbation in psychological distress among Israelis due to the Russo-Ukrainian War. Specifically, we assessed how vulnerability factors such as previous traumatic exposure, having relatives and friends affected by the war, media exposure, having a Holocaust familial background, lower levels of resilience, and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) are associated with perceived exacerbation in psychological distress. A random sample of 845 Israeli Jews aged 18-75 who reported exposure to at least one traumatic event participated in the study. Univariate logistic regression showed that Holocaust familial background, previous exposure to trauma, media exposure to the Russo-Ukrainian War, and probable diagnosis of PTSD or CPTSD are the main factors associated with perceived exacerbation in psychological distress. These results suggest that various traumatic factors associate with perceived higher psychological vulnerability to international conflicts, even when there is no direct personal threat. Practitioners should be aware of these factors among individuals exposed to trauma.

Violence, life aspirations and displacement trajectories in civil war

AbstractDrawing on qualitative data from the civil wars in Syria and Libya since 2011, this paper seeks to build a better understanding of immobility and of displacement trajectories within conflict countries and towards neighbouring countries. The paper shows that different types of violent experiences—personal threats, generalized violence, an increasing hopelessness relating to the absence of violence in the future—trigger different exit movements across internal and external borders. Second, the analysis demonstrates that migration decisions in civil war contexts are complex processes with people balancing between strategies of how to avoid violence with strategies of how to realize broader life aspirations related to family, love, work and political change. Life aspirations often play a more important role once people move out of a situation of immediate danger and in later phases of trajectories and influence (im)mobility patterns in three different directions: stay, move (on) or return. Life aspirations, especially related to political change, outweigh perceptions of violence in some cases. Financial vulnerability can force people to stay in or return to violent contexts.