T. Gordeeva, Russian Federation
National Research University Higher School of Economics International Laboratory of Positive Psychology of Personality and MotivationPresenter of 5 Presentations
EPP0377 - Hopelessness and externality as predictors of experiencing anger during COVID-19 lockdown in Russia
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Following Italy and many other European countries Russia entered a nationwide lockdown in March 2020. Since quarantine had impact on mental health (Gualano et al., 2020, Stanton et al., 2020), this study aimed to study the psychological predictors of low mental health and anger in Russian university students. Previous studies have shown that young people are most vulnerable part of population during Covid-19 pandemic (Pervichko et al., 2020).
Objectives
Objectives. The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of externality and hopelessness on anger and irritation during COVID-19 lockdown.
Methods
Methods. The sample comprised 120 university students (86% women, M=18.84, SD=1.58) from Moscow. Online survey has been conducted in April 2020. Measures included Russian externality-internality scale based on Rotter’s scale and three new scales specific for COVID-19 pandemic developed for this study to assess feeling of hopelessness (α = 0.72), anger (α = 0.70) and positive reformulation (α = 0.84).
Results
Results. Anger shows significant correlations with hopelessness (r=0.43; p<0.001), externality (r=0.29; p<0.01) and positive reformulation (r=–0.41; p<0.001). Structural equation modeling confirms theoretical model according to which the effect of externality on anger is mediated by hopelessness and positive reformulation (negatively) (indirect effects sig. at p<0.01, χ2 = 1.32; df = 1; p = 0.251; CFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.969; RMSEA = 0.052.
Conclusions
Conclusions. Anger and irritation regarding the necessity to stay at home during COVID-19 lockdown may be caused by external locus of control which effect on anger is mediated by hopelessness and limited capacities for positive reframing.
EPP0379 - New measure of defensive and constructive optimism towards COVID-19 pandemic
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Introduction: Individuals’ beliefs about COVID-19 pandemic may affect their health-related behavior including self-isolation. “Positive” beliefs may be realistic (constructive belief that efforts help to prevent infection and spread of the virus) or rose-colored glasses (defensive belief that coronavirus problem is exaggerated aimed to cope with anxiety) with different consequences for behavior and mental health.
Objectives
Objectives: The aim was to develop the scales of defensive and constructive optimism towards COVID-19 pandemic (DCO-Covid) and analyze their psychometric properties, factor structure using CFA, internal consistency and validity.
Methods
Methods: The sample comprised 1403 university students (68% women, M=20.59, SD=3.66) from large cities of Russia. Online survey conducted from 10/4/2020 till 25/4/2020. Test battery included the scales of constructive and defensive optimism (each of 3 items) and measure of dispositional optimism (LOT-R, Scheier et al., 1994). Part of the sample (N=306) completed anxiety in a pandemic questionnaire (Tkhostov, Rasskazova, 2020).
Results
Results: CFA indicated a good fit for the two-factor model (χ2=27.11, df=8, p<.001, CFI =.985, TLI=.971, RMSEA = .041, p[RMSEA≤.05] = .78) with negative correlations between factors (–.28). Cronbach’s alpha for defensive optimism and constructive optimism were α=.75 and α=.70 respectively. As expected constructive and defensive optimism correlated with dispositional optimism (r=.24; p < .001 and r=–.06; p<.05 respectively) and anxiety (fear of infection, r=.08; n.s and r= –.23; p < .001).
Conclusions
Conclusions: The results show that DCO-C is a reliable measure of defensive and constructive optimism towards COVID-19 pandemic. The construct validity of these scales is confirmed by CFA and obtained correlations.
EPP0546 - Pessimistic attributional style for positive life events as a predictor of low mental health in Russian sample
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Attributional style (AS) indicates cognitive dispositions for explaining positive and negative events. People with pessimistic АS explain failure with stable and global causes. Previous studies and meta-analyses (Hu et al., 2015; Peterson et al., 1985; Zhang et al., 2014) showed that pessimistic AS for failures is a reliable predictor of depression and ill-being, but the possible mediators of such relations are understudied.
Objectives
Our main objective was to analyse relations of pessimistic AS for success and failure with mental health. We hypothesized that pessimistic AS would be a predictor of low mental health mediated by self-esteem, dispositional optimism, and gratitude.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 261 adults (MA=32.09, SD=12.53, 13% male) using a 24-item attributional style questionnaire (SFASQ, Gordeeva et al., 2009), mental well-being scale (Tennant et al., 2007), self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965), gratitude questionnaire (McCullough et al., 2002), and LOT (Scheier, Carver, 1985).
Results
A path model of effects of pessimistic AS in positive and negative situations on mental ill-being was developed. The model with three mediators fits the data very well: CFI=0.990; RMSEA=0.048. The pessimistic attributional style for positive events was a significant predictor of mental ill-being mediated by self-esteem, dispositional optimism, and gratitude while the indirect effect of pessimistic AS for failures on mental ill-being (controlling for age) was not significant.
Conclusions
. Only the pessimistic AS for successes but not for failures was a significant predictor of mental ill-being which underline the importance of stable and global attributions of positive life events for mental health.
EPP1461 - Well-being during COVID-19 pandemic in Russia: the effects of defensive optimism, destructive coping and gender
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Previous research shows that subjective well-being during pandemic (SWB-P) is related to sociodemographic variables (de Pedraza et al., 2020) and coping (Rasskazova et al., 2020). We hypothesized that SWB-P depends on specific types of optimism and coping with pandemic situation, namely defensive optimism (belief the coronavirus problem is exaggerated) and constructive optimism (belief that people’s efforts help prevent infection and spread of the virus) which effects are mediated by the effects of destructive and constructive coping.
Objectives
This study aimed to assess the effects of situation specific optimism and coping on SWB controlling for gender.
Methods
The sample comprised 1403 university students (68% women, M=20.59, SD=3.66). Online survey has been conducted from 10/4/2020 till 25/4/2020. The measures included LOT-R, the scales of defensive and constructive optimism, and the scales of destructive and adaptive coping with pandemic situation (Gordeeva, Sychev, 2020). Well-being was assessed by sum of positive affect minus negative affect (PANAS) and SWLS (Diener et al., 1985).
Results
Structural equation modeling shows that SWB-P is related directly to gender (less well-being in women), dispositional optimism, adaptive coping and destructive coping (negatively). The negative effect of defensive optimism was mediated only by destructive coping (p<0.001), the effects of constructive optimism on well-being was mediated by adaptive and destructive coping (both p<0.01) (χ2 (4)= 8.97; p = 0.06; CFI = 0.996; TLI = 0.978; RMSEA = 0.030; PCLOSE = 0.886).
Conclusions
Dispositional optimism together with situation-specific defensive and constructive types of optimism and coping are essential for explaining well-being during Covid-19 lockdown.
O076 - Fear of infection and optimism predict following stay-at-home recommendations during COVID-19 pandemic in Russian young people
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Introduction. Self-isolation regime is an effective measure to contain the pandemic (Alfano, Ercolano, 2020), but the psychological factors predicting compliance with stay-at-home recommendations (CSHR) are understudied. We hypothesized that 1) defensive optimism and constructive optimism will have opposite effects on CSHR, 2) the effect of defensive optimism will be mediated through a decrease of anxiety (fear of infection).
Objectives
Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the direct and indirect (through the fear of infection) effects of defensive optimism (belief that coronavirus problem is exaggerated) and constructive optimism (belief that people’s efforts help to prevent infection and spread of the virus) on CSHR, controlling for dispositional optimism.
Methods
Methods. A longitudinal study (from 10/4/2020 till 2/6/2020) was conducted on a sample of 306 university students (89% women, MA=21.20, SD=4.54) using a single-item measure of CSHR, LOT-R (Scheier et al., 1994), the scales of defensive and constructive optimism (Gordeeva, Sychev, 2020), and anxiety in a pandemic situation questionnaire (Tkhostov, Rasskazova, 2020).
Results
Results. During seven-week interval CSHR has decreased dramatically (Cohen’s d=0.66, p<0.001) while the other variables remained stable. Using SEM we have showed that CSHR at the end of study (T2) is predicted by the CSHR (T1) and through it by the defensive optimism (negative effect, p<0.05) and constructive optimism (positive effect, p<0.001). Negative effect of defensive optimism on CSHR is also mediated by the fear of infection (T2), reducing it. Dispositional optimism is associated only with constructive optimism.
Conclusions
Conclusions. Defensive and constructive optimism/ pessimism are essential in explaining health-related behavior.