Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts
As COVID-19 spread globally in 2020, it culminated in distress, anxiety, and uncertainty in dealing with a global health pandemic. Paramount during this period was the dissemination of accurate and updated information about COVID-19, as a means to reduce negative emotions. Close contacts also play a...
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| Format: | Article |
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International Islamic University Malaysia
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113654/ |
| _version_ | 1848866286269890560 |
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| author | Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, Tengku Siti Aisha A. Manaf, Aini Maznina Syed Zainudin, Sharifah Sofiah |
| author_facet | Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, Tengku Siti Aisha A. Manaf, Aini Maznina Syed Zainudin, Sharifah Sofiah |
| author_sort | Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, Tengku Siti Aisha |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | As COVID-19 spread globally in 2020, it culminated in distress, anxiety, and uncertainty in dealing with a global health pandemic. Paramount during this period was the dissemination of accurate and updated information about COVID-19, as a means to reduce negative emotions. Close contacts also play a vital role; in disseminating information, they must ensure that they disclose their health status, to avoid infections from spreading. However, individuals may be reluctant to seek information from close contacts, due to many reasons. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine information avoidance on COVID-19 with close contacts among young adults from the perspective of the Theory of Motivated Information Management (TMIM). Specifically, we explored factors influencing COVID-19 information avoidance, including anxiety discrepancy, outcome expectancy and close contact’s target efficacy among young adults. Through a cross-sectional survey distributed online in November 2020, we targeted undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia (N = 483). Overall, the study found support for TMIM. Only two hypotheses were not supported; anxiety did not influence outcome expectancy or target efficacy. Target efficacy also mediated the relationship between outcome expectancy and information avoidance. The repercussions of these findings on TMIM, as well as other factors that may influence health information management will be deliberated. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:18:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-113654 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:18:11Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | International Islamic University Malaysia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1136542024-11-19T07:12:57Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113654/ Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, Tengku Siti Aisha A. Manaf, Aini Maznina Syed Zainudin, Sharifah Sofiah As COVID-19 spread globally in 2020, it culminated in distress, anxiety, and uncertainty in dealing with a global health pandemic. Paramount during this period was the dissemination of accurate and updated information about COVID-19, as a means to reduce negative emotions. Close contacts also play a vital role; in disseminating information, they must ensure that they disclose their health status, to avoid infections from spreading. However, individuals may be reluctant to seek information from close contacts, due to many reasons. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine information avoidance on COVID-19 with close contacts among young adults from the perspective of the Theory of Motivated Information Management (TMIM). Specifically, we explored factors influencing COVID-19 information avoidance, including anxiety discrepancy, outcome expectancy and close contact’s target efficacy among young adults. Through a cross-sectional survey distributed online in November 2020, we targeted undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia (N = 483). Overall, the study found support for TMIM. Only two hypotheses were not supported; anxiety did not influence outcome expectancy or target efficacy. Target efficacy also mediated the relationship between outcome expectancy and information avoidance. The repercussions of these findings on TMIM, as well as other factors that may influence health information management will be deliberated. International Islamic University Malaysia 2024-06-28 Article PeerReviewed Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, Tengku Siti Aisha and A. Manaf, Aini Maznina and Syed Zainudin, Sharifah Sofiah (2024) Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts. Intellectual Discourse, 32 (1). pp. 291-317. ISSN 0128-4878; eISSN: 2289-5639 https://journals.iium.edu.my/intdiscourse/index.php/id/article/view/1951 10.31436/id.v32i1.1951 |
| spellingShingle | Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, Tengku Siti Aisha A. Manaf, Aini Maznina Syed Zainudin, Sharifah Sofiah Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts |
| title | Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts |
| title_full | Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts |
| title_fullStr | Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts |
| title_short | Do we really have to talk about that? avoiding COVID-19 topics with close contacts |
| title_sort | do we really have to talk about that? avoiding covid-19 topics with close contacts |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113654/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113654/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/113654/ |