Anxiety, Worry, Life Satisfaction and Coping During the Acute VS Prolonged Pandemic Stress: Evidence From a Repeated Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic remains a continuous stressor worldwide. Our study aimed at comparing the data of waves from two lockdowns in Georgia, one in the acute stress phase (May 2020) and the other in the prolonged stress phase (December 2020). Methods: In total, 750 and 716 individuals participated in the study with a repeated cross-sectional design. Sample equivalence was reached via controlling demographic variables. Anxiety, COVID-19 worry, and life satisfaction were measured along with coping behaviors and four coping styles-information-accessing/processing and action-planning (two problem-focused coping styles), and passive-submissive and avoidant (two emotion-focused coping styles). Results: As pandemic prolonged, mental health indicators worsened, the action-planning style and behavioral coping decreased, while the information-accessing/processing style increased. The link between the COVID-19 worry and the action-planning coping style was strong in the acute stage and dissapeared in the prolonged stage. The individual context, namely, a history of coronavirus in the household, accounted for lower protective behaviors and higher information seeking in the prolonged phase. Conclusion: The findings highlighted the importance of timing and general and individual contexts in coping with the pandemic.

Social-Structural Antecedents Come Forward to Elicit Envy to Distant Out-Groups.

This study utilizing correlation, regression, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), ANOVA, moderation and mediation analysis investigated connections of stereotypes, emotions, and sociocultural variables in a single-sample/single-group design. Prior to data processing, Georgian versions of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) questionnaires were validated through CFA. The study looked at Georgian students' attitudes to: (a) representatives of German-speaking countries (87 participants) and (b) representatives of English-speaking countries (244 participants). Emotions predicted to these groups by social-structural antecedents-vitality and fear of assimilation-and stereotypes were admiration, pride, and sympathy. In addition, envy was predicted for the English-speaking group. The prediction of envy is explained by moderation analysis according to which it is elicited by the interplay of warmth and competence, as well as fear of assimilation and competence. The former interaction mediates the link between social-structural antecedents to emotions. Thus, distant out-groups elicit envy as a result of their perceived vitality, fear of assimilation, warmth, and competence. Social-structural antecedents come forward to elicit emotions of envy independently as well as in interaction with stereotypes when small country representatives evaluate representatives of the influential group of English-speaking people.