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. 2021 Feb 25:12:583883.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.583883. eCollection 2021.

Negative Affectivity, Authoritarianism, and Anxiety of Infection Explain Early Maladjusted Behavior During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Vincenzo Bochicchio  1 , Adam Winsler  2 , Stefano Pagliaro  3 , Maria Giuseppina Pacilli  4 , Pasquale Dolce  5 , Cristiano Scandurra  6
Affiliations

Negative Affectivity, Authoritarianism, and Anxiety of Infection Explain Early Maladjusted Behavior During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Vincenzo Bochicchio et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

During the first phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, Italy experienced problems of public order and maladjusted behavior. This study assessed the role of negative affectivity, right-wing authoritarianism, and anxiety of COVID-19 infection in explaining a variety of the maladjusted behaviors (i.e., "China-phobic" discrimination, panic buying) observed with an Italian sample. Specifically, we examined the effect of Negative Affectivity and Right-Wing Authoritarianism on maladjusted behaviors, and the moderating role of anxiety of infection. Seven hundred and fifty-seven Italian participants completed an online survey between March 3rd to the 7th 2020, which was immediately before the lockdown. A moderated-mediation model was tested using a structural equation modeling approach. Results indicated that both Negative Affectivity and Right-Wing Authoritarianism were positively associated with COVID-19-related maladjusted behavior, and that Right-Wing Authoritarianism mediated the relationship between Negative Affectivity and maladjusted behavior. Furthermore, the effect of Right-Wing Authoritarianism on maladjusted behavior was greater for those with high anxiety of infection, and the indirect effect of Negative Affectivity on maladjusted behavior through Right-Wing Authoritarianism was moderated by infection anxiety. Findings highlight potential psychological paths that may inform communication strategies and public health initiatives aimed at promoting healthy behavior during an outbreak.

Keywords: COVID-19 outbreak; anxiety of infection; maladjusted behavior; negative affectivity; pandemic; right-wing authoritarianism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The hypothesized moderated-mediation model. RWA, Right-Wing Authoritarianism.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Results from the moderated-mediation model. Dashed lines represent non-significant paths. For simplicity, associations with control variables are omitted. RWA, Right-Wing Authoritarianism. ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, and ∗∗∗p < 0.001.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Conditional indirect effect, along with the 95% confidence intervals, of negative affectivity on COVID-19-related maladjusted behaviors through RWA as a function of anxiety of COVID-19 infection. RWA, Right-Wing Authoritarianism.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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