This study examined whether significantly anxious individuals differed from non-anxious individuals in their perceptual ratings of internet memes related to the Covid-19 pandemic, whilst considering the mediating role of emotion regulation. Eighty individuals presenting clinically significant anxiety symptoms (indicating ≥ 15 on the GAD-7) and 80 non-anxious controls (indicating ≤ 4) rated the emotional valance, humour, relatability, shareability, and offensiveness of 45 Covid-19 internet memes. A measure of emotion regulation difficulties was also completed. The perception of humour, relatability, and shareability were all greater amongst anxious individuals relative to non-anxious controls. These differences were not mediated by emotion regulation deficits. Internet memes related to the current Covid-19 pandemic may tentatively serve as coping mechanism for individuals experiencing severe symptoms of anxiety.
【저자키워드】 Anxiety, Human behaviour, 【초록키워드】 pandemic, Control, mechanism, emotional, Regulation, individual, GAD-7, controls, anxiety symptom, greater, examined, significantly, clinically, presenting, severe symptom, Internet meme, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19 pandemic, mechanism, Internet meme,