The Relationship Between Fear of COVID-19 and Online Aggressive Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Baojuan Ye; Yadi Zeng; Hohjin Im; Mingfan Liu; Xinqiang Wang; Qiang Yang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.589615

Frontiers in Psychology (Feb 2021)

The Relationship Between Fear of COVID-19 and Online Aggressive Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Baojuan Ye,
Yadi Zeng,
Hohjin Im,
Mingfan Liu,
Xinqiang Wang,
Qiang Yang

Affiliations

Baojuan Ye: Center of Mental Health Education and Research, School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Yadi Zeng: Center of Mental Health Education and Research, School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Hohjin Im: Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
Mingfan Liu: Center of Mental Health Education and Research, School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Xinqiang Wang: Center of Mental Health Education and Research, School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Qiang Yang: School of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.589615
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12

Abstract

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Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, fear has run rampant across the globe. To curb the spread of the virus, several governments have taken measures to drastically transition businesses, work, and schooling to virtual settings. While such transitions are warranted and well-intended, these measures may come with unforeseen consequences. Namely, one’s fear of COVID-19 may more readily manifest as aggressive behaviors in an otherwise incognito virtual social ecology. In the current research, a moderated mediation model examined the mechanisms underlying the relation between fear of COVID-19 and overt and relational aggressive online behavior among Chinese college students. Utilizing a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2,799), results indicated that moral disengagement mediated the effect of fear of COVID-19 on college students’ overt and relational online aggressive behavior. A positive family cohesion buffered the effect of moral disengagement on relational aggressive behavior, but only for females. The findings, theoretical contributions, and practical implications of the present paper are also discussed.

Published in Frontiers in Psychology

ISSN: 1664-1078 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Philosophy. Psychology. Religion: Psychology
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology

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