Implicit and explicit COVID-19 associations and mental health in the United States: a large-scale examination and replication

Werntz, Alexandra; O’Shea, Brian A.; Sjobeck, Gustav; Howell, Jennifer; Lindgren, Kristen P.; Teachman, Bethany A.

Abstract

Background: Given the sensitive nature of COVID-19 beliefs, evaluating them explicitly and implicitly may provide a fuller picture of how these beliefs vary based on identities and how they relate to mental health. Objective: Three novel brief implicit association tests (BIATs) were created and evaluated: two that measured COVID-19-as-dangerous (vs. safe) and one that measured COVID-19 precautions-as-necessary (vs. unnecessary). Implicit and explicit COVID-19 associations were examined based on individuals’ demographic characteristics. Implicit associations were hypothesized to uniquely contribute to individuals’ self-reports of mental health. Methods: Participants (N = 13,413 US residents; April-November 2020) were volunteers for a COVID-19 study. Participants completed one BIAT and self-report measures. This was a preregistered study with a planned internal replication. Results: Results revealed older age was weakly associated with stronger implicit and explicit associations of COVID-as-dangerous and precautions-as-necessary. Black and Asian individuals reported greater necessity of taking precautions than White individuals (with small-to-medium effects); greater education was associated with greater explicit reports of COVID-19-as-dangerous and precautions-as-necessary with small effects. Replicated relationships between COVID-as-dangerous explicit associations and mental health had very small effects. Conclusions: Implicit associations did not predict mental health but there was evidence that stronger COVID-19-as-dangerous explicit associations are weakly associated with worse mental health.

Citation

Werntz, A., O’Shea, B. A., Sjobeck, G., Howell, J., Lindgren, K. P., & Teachman, B. A. (2023). Implicit and explicit COVID-19 associations and mental health in the United States: a large-scale examination and replication. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, Article 2176486. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2023.2176486

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 30, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 9, 2023
• Publication Date: Feb 9, 2023
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 10, 2024
• Journal: Anxiety, Stress and Coping
• Print ISSN: 1061-5806
• Electronic ISSN: 1477-2205
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Article Number: 2176486
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2023.2176486
• Keywords: COVID-19; implicit associations; mental health; anxiety; depression; United States
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/17652289
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10615806.2023.2176486