Threat Perception Research Articles

Understanding the role of illness perceptions in the relationship between cognitive and emotional difficulties after stroke

ABSTRACT Emotional difficulties are common after stroke and up to one third of stroke-survivors develop post-stroke depression. Psychological distress in this population remains poorly understood, despite high prevalence and secondary implications. One established predictor of depressive symptoms after stroke is cognitive impairment, however, the mechanism underlying this relationship is unclear. This research investigated the potential role of stroke-related illness appraisals as a mediating factor to this known association. Seventy-seven participants, aged 45–94, were consecutively recruited from inpatient stroke units in Oxfordshire over 15-months and completed assessments of mood, cognition and illness appraisals, which were analyzed cross-sectionally. As expected, cognitive impairment significantly predicted depressive symptoms. Importantly, this relationship was shown to be mediated by perceptions of threat and control. Higher levels of cognitive impairment were significantly associated with lower perceived control and higher perceived threat, which partially explained the relationship between cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms. Perceptions of illness coherence were predictive of depressive symptoms but not associated with degree of cognitive impairment. This research has implications for the management of cognitive impairment in the early stages after stroke and suggests that illness appraisals may be an important intervention target for reducing depressive symptoms in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairments.

Mating proximity blinds threat perception

Romantic engagement can bias sensory perception. This ‘love blindness’ reflects a common behavioural principle across organisms: favouring pursuit of a coveted reward over potential risks1. In the case of animal courtship, such sensory biases may support reproductive success but can also expose individuals to danger, such as predation2,3. However, how neural networks balance the trade-off between risk and reward is unknown. Here we discover a dopamine-governed filter mechanism in male Drosophila that reduces threat perception as courtship progresses. We show that during early courtship stages, threat-activated visual neurons inhibit central courtship nodes via specific serotonergic neurons. This serotonergic inhibition prompts flies to abort courtship when they see imminent danger. However, as flies advance in the courtship process, the dopaminergic filter system reduces visual threat responses, shifting the balance from survival to mating. By recording neural activity from males as they approach mating, we demonstrate that progress in courtship is registered as dopaminergic activity levels ramping up. This dopamine signalling inhibits the visual threat detection pathway via Dop2R receptors, allowing male flies to focus on courtship when they are close to copulation. Thus, dopamine signalling biases sensory perception based on perceived goal proximity, to prioritize between competing behaviours.

Spectacle of Iran’s Nuclear Deal: From Settlement to Withdrawal to Re-negotiation

Iran’s nuclear program has been a constant priority agenda of international non-proliferation community for decade’s now. The Comprehensive Framework for Joint Plan of Action (JCOP) concluded as a result of intensive negotiations among negotiating parties on April 2, 2015. This deal was considered as a diplomatic breakthrough with regard to Iran’s nuclear program. President Trump withdrew from the deal unilaterally in 2018 on the pretext of being ineffective in curtailing Iran’s missile program and offensive proliferation designs. Iran also declared not to comply the provisions of deal as retaliation of US unexpected exit. After President Biden’s ascending to power prospects of renegotiations brightened. However, despite few attempts, no tangible step of concrete negotiations has taken so far. This paper endeavors to narrate the course of Iran’s nuclear deal with exclusive focus on post US withdrawal events. The paper endeavored to analyze responses of different US administrations towards the deal. For instance, nuclear deal concluded and came into force under Obama’s administration; US unilaterally withdrew from the deal under Trump administration, and Biden’s administration struggling to renegotiate the deal. A holistic review of the deal including major events, would help to understand US threat perceptions vis-à-vis a nuclear Iran and the handling of this threat perception under different administrations, reveling the fault-lines between democrats and republicans on Iranian nuclear deal issue at one hand and US and other negotiating partners at other hand. However, despite the divergent opinions to handle nuclear Iran, all parties seem to converge on one point, to avoid military confrontation in Middle East.

Insights from a community-based survey on factors influencing acceptance and uptake of Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) as a COVID-19 antiviral medication in Singapore

IntroductionAntiviral treatment can reduce the burden of COVID-19. But utilisation can be suboptimal, even in a setting like Singapore where it is fully subsidized for those with selected medical conditions and older adults (≥ 50 years). We hence investigated the factors affecting awareness, acceptance, and initiative to request Paxlovid.MethodsWe assessed the Paxlovid awareness, factors impacting its uptake in a survey conducted from August 2022 to September 2022 through the SOCRATES cohort. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate associations between sociodemographics, perceptions, and attitudes with the key study outcomes.ResultsAmong respondents to the Paxlovid survey, 54% were aware of Paxlovid. On being provided essential details about Paxlovid, 75% reported they would likely be receptive to taking it if prescribed, and 38% indicated the initiative to request for it if it was not suggested by their doctors. Factors associated with awareness of Paxlovid include aged 40 years old and above, higher education, citing websites as an information source, greater trust in healthcare providers (aOR: 1.65, 95% CI 1.26 – 2.15) and government communications (aOR: 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 – 0.86), and higher perceived risk of COVID-19 infection (aOR: 1.25, 95% CI 1.10 – 1.42). Factors associated with acceptance to take Paxlovid include male gender, citing trust in healthcare providers (aOR: 1.49, 95% CI 1.11 – 1.99) and government communications (aOR: 1.38, 95% CI 1.09 – 1.76), and higher perceived severity of COVID-19 (aOR: 1.23, 95% CI 1.07 – 1.42). Factors associated with initiative to request Paxlovid include male gender, having pre-existing diabetes and higher perceived severity of COVID-19 (aOR: 1.24, 95% CI 1.09 – 1.40). The most common reasons for why respondents might not take Paxlovid were concerns about side effects (64%), concerns about costs (29%), and the perception that COVID-19 is a mild (25%).ConclusionThe majority of our respondents would take Paxlovid if it was prescribed to them, but a much smaller proportion would have the initiative to request for this. Key factors that may influence uptake are COVID-19 threat perceptions, trust in healthcare and government, and perceptions of the drug’s side effects and cost.

Threat mediates the effect of perceived anti-prejudice social norms on adolescents’ preferences for immigrants’ acculturation

Successful integration of immigrants in the receiving society depends on the acceptance of the majority population and their preferences for immigrants’ acculturation orientations. However, political discourse often promotes hostility and feelings of threat from immigration, which contribute to the increased perception of prevalence and acceptability of anti-immigrant attitudes in the society. Such social norms may also shape the acculturation attitudes among the majority youth, as adolescents are particularly sensitive to social norms. Previous research has shown significant effects of parental and peer norms on adolescents’ intergroup attitudes, while there is a lack of studies examining the role of social norms in acculturation preferences. Moreover, the role of perceived norms from broader social environments, such as the normative climate on the national level, is not yet well understood. The study was conducted in Slovakia, where the percentage of immigrants at the time of the research was low, but the topic of immigration was highly politicised. We examined the role of perceived parental, classmates’, and national level anti-prejudice social norms as well as perceived threat in majority adolescents’ (N = 438) preferences towards immigrants’ acculturation. Our findings point to significant associations between adolescents’ perceptions of anti-prejudice norms and their preferences for immigrants’ culture maintenance and preferences for contact. The relationship between perceived norms and acculturation attitudes was mediated by perceived threat, suggesting that, in the context of low intergroup contact, social norms may transmit perceptions of threat, which in turn negatively affect acculturation attitudes.

One year of COVID-19: A longitudinal study of individual and relational factors of psychological adjustment of individuals living in a romantic relationship in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This longitudinal study explored the impact of COVID-19 on individuals in romantic relationships. The sample spans three waves: first confinement (n = 52), deconfinement (n = 49), and second confinement (n = 26). The study tested sociodemographic factors, psychological adjustment (anxiety, depression, stress, well-being), COVID-19 threat perception, dyadic coping, and relationship quality. Results from repeated measures ANOVA and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) models revealed a decline in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, coupled with improved relationship quality over time. Well-being and dyadic coping remained stable, while COVID-19 threat perception increased. QCA models emphasized the predictive power of initial mental states (anxiety, depression, stress, and well-being at W1) on subsequent adjustment. Notably, shorter relationship duration, healthcare worker status, and not having children, when combined with prior mental states, explained increased symptoms and diminished well-being. The study underscores the significance of addressing these factors in individuals navigating romantic relationships during the pandemic.

How Income and Discrimination Shape the Acceptance of Newcomers in Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Native-Born and Immigrant Populations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how income and belonging to a discriminated group are associated with perceptions of threats posed by immigrants, and with the willingness to accept newcomers of a different/same race or ethnicity as most people of the receiving country, or newcomers who came from poor countries outside Europe. The study transcended Borjas's theory of 'competing and complementary' to newcomer groups of native workers, expanding it from the economic and labor spheres to the symbolic cultural and social spheres, and extending this theory to the foreign-born European population. The study used data from the European Social Survey Round 10 Data. Three local population groups in the EU were examined: the native-born population, immigrants from non-EU countries living in the EU, and migrants from EU countries living in other EU countries. The study revealed that for native-born people, the salient factor predicting their perceived threats and willingness to accept newcomers was income, and for non-EU veteran immigrants, the salient factor was the feeling of belonging to a discriminated group. Economically disadvantaged native-born people in the EU were a group competing with newcomers. However, disadvantaged and discriminated non-EU immigrants were complementary to newcomers. The study showed that a disadvantaged group may be either competing or complementary to newcomers, depending on the origin of the group's members rather than on the origin of newcomers.

“God is my vaccine”: the role of religion, conspiracy beliefs, and threat perception in relation to COVID-19 vaccination

AbstractReligious and conspiracy beliefs are based on the assumption that a potent force exists which is capable of affecting people’s destinies. According to compensatory control theory, the belief in such a potent external agent may serve to alleviate feelings of uncertainty and help restore a sense of control. This is of particular relevance and importance to attitudes and behaviour of religious individuals towards vaccinations during the Covid-19 pandemic, where a belief in such a potent external force controlling events and destinies may have lowered the sense of threat posed by Covid-19 and in turn reduced vaccination uptake. To test this, we conducted a cross-sectional study of highly religious adults in Poland (N = 213) and found that the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses taken was negatively predicted by conspiracy beliefs, perceived closeness to God, and frequency of church attendance, and positively predicted by the perceived COVID-19 threat. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that both conspiracy beliefs and perceived closeness to God were related to a decreased perception of the COVID-19 threat, which in turn led to a decreased number of vaccine doses received. Our study offers important insights for public health professionals and identifies further research pathways on conspiracy and religious beliefs in relation to health-related behaviours.

Anthropomorphism and Technology Adoption: Integrating ISS Model and SQB Theory in HR-IVAs Adoption

The current study aims to establish a comprehensive framework for understanding the factors affecting intention to adopt HR-IVAs (Human Resource Intelligent Virtual Assistants) systems at the workplace by the employees. A research model is developed by integrating the ISS (Information System Success) model and SQB (Status Quo Bias) theory to study HR-IVAs adoption intention of employees. The moderating role of Perceived Anthropomorphism on these associations is studied. The non-random sampling technique with a single cross-sectional research design is used to collect responses from 374 respondents who were employees of service sector organizations. CFA, along with PLS-SEM, has been used to test the proposed research model. It was found that Perceived Information Quality (PIQ) and Perceived Systems Quality (PSQ) from the ISS model significantly impacted the Attitude towards the Adoption (AtA) of HR-IVAs, whereas only Perceived Threat (PT) from SQB theory significantly impacted AtA. Further, AtA significantly impacted the Adoption Intention (AI) of HR-IVAs. Additionally, Perceived Anthropomorphism (PA) significantly moderated the associations between PIQ and AtA as well as AtA and AI. The present study provides a novel conceptual framework that can be leveraged to gain insights into drivers and barriers to adopting HR-IVAs in the workplace.

How to activate threat perceptions in behavior research: A simple technique for inducing health and resource scarcity threats.

Understanding our cognitive and behavioral reactions to large-scale collective problems involving health and resource scarcity threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, helps usbe better prepared for future collective threats. However, existing studies on these threats tend to be restricted to correlational data, partly due to a lack of reliable experimental techniques for manipulating threat perceptions. In four preregistered experiments (N = 5152), we developed and validated an experimental technique that can separately activate perceptions ofpersonal health threat or resource scarcity threat, either in the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic or in general. We compared the threat manipulations to a relaxation manipulation designed to deactivate background threat perceptions as well as to a passive control condition. Confirmatory tests showed substantial activation of personal health and resourcescarcity threat perceptions. This brief technique can be easily used in online experiments. Distress due to the threat manipulation was rarely reported and easily managed with a debriefing toolkit.

Saying “thanks” and “sorry” in a Japanese workplace: expressing gratitude and apologies functions as an effective politeness strategy

ABSTRACT This study examined how expressed gratitude and apologies functioned as politeness strategies among 499 Japanese workers. In this online experimental research with 4 message conditions (control, gratitude, apologies, both) and 2 status conditions (lower/same), participants read a message from a hypothetical coworker and reported perceptions of face threats in the message, the coworker’s warmth, and their willingness to engage in prosocial behavior. Results indicated that expressed gratitude and apologies reduced face threats compared to no expressions. Further, path analysis showed that expressed gratitude indirectly affected perceptions of warmth through reduced face threats. Additionally, status differences influenced participants’ prosocial behavior.

Prejudice toward the Xinyimin in Indonesia: testing the integrated threat model

ABSTRACT China’s Belt and Road Initiative has galvanized new Chinese migration to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. The presence of the new Chinese migrants (Xinyimin) has not gone without resistance in Indonesia. This study examines the effects of history of intergroup conflicts and contact on the formation of threat perceptions toward the Xinyimin in Indonesia. The findings revealed both history of conflicts and contact predict realistic threat and highlight the importance of open communication in mitigating intergroup biases.

Insights from local government managers: Navigating crises through organizational capacities and perceptions

AbstractRecent years have shown that strategic responses to crises by local governments (LGs) depend on the type of crisis, the institutional environment, but also internal capacities and sensemaking processes. However, such relationships have not been tested widely yet. Based on a survey of managers (n = 590) from cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants in France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, this study explores the role played by specific organizational capacities (critical thinking, bricolage, and financial capacities) and crisis perceptions (valence—i.e., threat vs. opportunity; and controllability) in shaping adaptive or regressive response strategies. Results show that these capacities are associated with how LGs' managers perceive crises and the type of responses adopted. Higher financial capacity, bricolage, and critical thinking are associated with stronger sense of organizational controllability, but they have different relationships with threat and opportunity perceptions. The study confirms the importance of distinguishing valence (threat and opportunity) from controllability perceptions.

How expected party affiliation influences attitudes toward immigrants? Experimental evidence from the United States

AbstractWhat explains natives' attitudes towards immigrants in host countries? This paper argues that not only economic and cultural but also political threat perceptions influence attitude formation. Natives consider the political balance of power and calculate the potential political benefits of admitting immigrants. This is because expected in‐party members will affect the balance of power in their favour. Leveraging a conjoint experiment in the United States, this study explores whether an immigrant's expected party affiliation shapes native attitudes. The findings indicate that immigrants with defined party affiliations are favoured compared to non‐affiliated ones. Moreover, respondents favoured immigrants perceived as political allies and penalized those seen as rivals. Expected party affiliation is even a strong predictor of attitudes for natives with existing anti‐immigrant attitudes as they curbed their negativities and favoured certain party identities. Overall, results suggest the pivotal role of political considerations as well as the importance of studying unexplored factors in attitude formation on immigration.

Unraveling the nexus: exploring the interplay of mass media, personality traits and social norms in fostering protective behavior against smog

Purpose The rise in industrialization, economic development and urbanization has altered the composition of atmospheric air. Air pollutants have significantly impacted Pakistan's urban areas, resulting in the lowest air quality index readings. To understand disinclined behavior such as using air purifiers and wearing masks, this study aims to explore the relationship between individual personality traits and mass media effects. Design/methodology/approach This study used a cross-sectional survey with a model based on previous theories. Data from 2,000 adults were self-administered and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings PLS-SEM confirmed six hypotheses, revealing mass media's direct and mediating roles in promoting critical psychological perceptions for protective behavior. The empirical results indicate that neuroticism, agreeableness and openness traits reinforce adherence behavior by intensifying threat perception. Practical implications This paper highlights significant implications for media campaign planners and provides more precise and comprehensive theoretical guidance. In the context of environmental challenges like smog, the findings illustrate how an understanding of personality traits can improve the efficacy of public health interventions through adherence to behaviors like mask-wearing and air purifier use. Addressing individual psychological characteristics when creating mass media campaigns to encourage public adherence to health protection measures related to environmental hazards. Originality/value Despite health campaigns and awareness, public compliance with measures like mask-wearing and air purifier use remains minimal. This study explores untapped mass media effects based on individual personality traits to understand this behavior.

Experiences of Exercise-Related Worry Among Chinese Childhood Cancer Survivors and Their Carers: A Qualitative Study.

The low levels of physical activity in childhood cancer survivors have increasingly garnered attention from nursing scholars. Exercise-related worry is a prominent barrier, yet the understanding of such experiences among childhood cancer survivors and their primary caregivers remains scarce. The aim of this study was to further understand the factors contributing to exercise-related worry from the perspective of childhood cancer survivors and their primary caregivers. In this qualitative study, we conducted face-to-face semistructured interviews with childhood cancer survivors (n = 20) and carers (n = 20) in 2 hospitals in China. The interviews were analyzed according to thematic analysis. Two main themes and 8 subthemes emerged: (1) internal factors: changes in the perception of physical activity (threat perception from the disease, active avoidance of stressful events, lack of safety due to past experiences), and (2) external factors: weak support system (limited peer support, family strength, feeling abandoned by the tumor team, reintegration into school, external environmental constraints). In summary, exercise-related worry is from internal factors and can be influenced by external factors. There are various factors contributing to the concerns of exercise in childhood cancer survivors, which may be a key factor for their significantly lower levels of physical activity compared to guideline recommendations. The findings of this study call for healthcare professionals to provide additional assistance for childhood cancer survivors with exercise-related worry and establish personalized mechanisms for supporting physical activity in pediatric cancer survivors within the Chinese healthcare system.

Quantifying the Psychological Online Communities Considering the Relationship between COVID-19-Related Threat, Information Uncertainty, and Risk Perception

Quantifying the Psychological Online Communities Considering the Relationship between COVID-19-Related Threat, Information Uncertainty, and Risk Perception

Shadowboxing: The People’s Republic of China’s Use of Informal Trade Restrictions as a Rising Power

ABSTRACT Since 2010, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has intermittently imposed informal trade restrictions on third countries following political disagreement. These occurrences reveal that the PRC increasingly sees the economic domain as a vector to assertively pursue its political interests as a rising power. At the same time, maintaining a favourable international environment to support its continued economic rise remains a key objective of the PRC’s grand strategy. An informal approach to trade restrictions offers the PRC the possibility to engage in coercive influencing while safeguarding its ability to stay connected to the global economy and its main protagonists. This is achieved through deniable and selective coercive measures that avoid raising already acute generalised threat perceptions within and among target states in order to prevent firm balancing responses from emerging. However, as recent experience with the PRC’s initiatives highlights, coercive measures have limitations as a wedge strategy. Most notably, rather than dividing targets, they may serve to strengthen ties between them.

Right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance, system justification, and conservative political ideology as predictors of mental health stigma: The Hungarian case.

Insights from mental health stigma research indicate the importance of societal and political views on mental health perceptions. Most studies originate from typical Western neo-liberal settings and focus on generic mental health issues. Our research explores these associations in Hungary, an understudied post-communist context with significant stigma levels, examining a broad range of stigmas related to both general and three specific mental illnesses: schizophrenia, depression, and alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study aims to connect a wide array of political dispositions to stigma associated with both general and specific mental illnesses, exploring both attitudes and behavioral intentions. We surveyed 492 participants (147 males, 342 females) on their political dispositions, including Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), general and economic system justification, and conservative political ideology, and their attitudes toward general and specific mental illnesses. Regression analyses identified key political dispositions influencing stigma. RWA was significantly linked to most stigma outcomes, while conservative political ideology showed a selective impact. Other predictors had minimal influence on stigma outcomes. Our findings suggest that perceptions of danger, threat, and unconventionality, as indicated by RWA, are crucial for mental health stigmatization in Hungary. Intervention programs should target these factors, particularly in similar contexts.

STRATEGIC CULTURE OF SAUDI ARABIA

The publication analyses the impact of Saudi Arabia’s strategic culture on the formation of its foreign policy. The relevance of the topic is connected to the growing challenges in the field of international security associated with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, which has demonstrated fundamental changes in the modern system of international relations with a tendency towards multipolarity with mega-centres of power. Within the Middle East international political space, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may become such a centre of power, one of the national interests of which is the desire to gain regional leadership. The article analyses the theoretical foundations of the concept of strategic culture and extrapolates these conclusions to the study of the attitude of the Saudi political elite to the use of force, as well as the tools for preventing and combating potential risks and threats to national security. Thus, through the prism of constructivism theory, the article outlines each of the main components of Saudi Arabia’s strategic culture, namely: the role of the country’’s strategically important geographical location, historical retrospective of the state’s formation, analysis of the perception of threats and tools for overcoming them, the state’s attitude to its enemies and allies in the international arena, and the factor of «soft power”.It is determined that the strategic culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is based on a high level of sensitivity to internal and external threats, which is the reason for the active militaristic policy of the state, rivalry for regional dominance with Iran and development of strategic relations with a strong ally, which historically has been the United States of America. At the same time, it should be noted that in order to achieve national interests in the turbulent international security environment, Saudi Arabia actively uses the soft power factor, which has a direct correlation with its national identity as an Islamic state.