The current study provides data about the immediate risk perceptions and psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among Italian participants. A sample of 980 volunteers answered a web-based survey which aimed to investigate the many facets of risk perceptions connected to COVID-19 (health, work, institutional-economy, interpersonal and psychological), and risk-related variables such as perceived knowledge, news seeking, perceived control, perceived efficacy of containment measures, and affective states. Socio-demographic characteristics were also collected. Results showed that although levels of general concern are relatively high among Italians, risk perceptions are highest with regards to the institutional-economy and work, and lowest concerning health. COVID-19 has been also estimated to be the least likely cause of death. Cognitive and affective risk-related variables contributed to explain the several risk perception domains differently. COVID-19 perceived knowledge did not affect any risk perception while the perceived control decreased health risk likelihood. The other risk-related variables amplified risk perceptions: News seeking increased work and institutional-economy risk; perceived efficacy of containment measures increased almost all perceived risks; negative affective states of fear, anger and sadness increased health risk; anxiety increased health, interpersonal and psychological risks, and uncertainty increased work, institutional-economy, interpersonal and psychological risk perceptions. Finally, positive affective states increased health risk perception. Socio-psychological implications are discussed.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, distress, Risk perception, psychological effects, risk-related variables, 【초록키워드】 Efficacy, Anxiety, knowledge, COVID-19 pandemic, risk, Health, Characteristics, death, Psychological, containment measures, Participants, domain, Italians, positive, variable, Volunteer, Effect, implication, Italian, likelihood, Containment measure, lowest, Result, highest, amplified, collected, provide, not affect, contributed, explain, concerning, New, affective, psychological risk, seeking, 【제목키워드】 Emergency, Perception, Effect, Italian,