Di Domenico Rossella, Cannata Davide, Mancini Tiziana
School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Front Psychol. 2021 Dec 22;12:768346. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.768346. eCollection 2021.
In March 2020, Italy was the first European country to be hit severely by the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to put in place moderate-high containment measures. 594 Italian expatriates participated in a cross-sectional mixed-methods survey focusing on the period that goes from the beginning of March 2020 to the beginning of April 2020. The survey aimed to describe the experiences of participants when it comes to conflicting beliefs and behavior with the Italian or host country communities in relation to COVID-19, using the Intragroup Cognitive Dissonance (ICD) framework. We explored: (1) COVID-19 risk perception (assessed for themselves, the Italian community, and the host country community); (2) COVID-19 risk meta-perception (participants' perception of the Italian and host country communities' risk perception); (3) intensity of emotions (assessed for themselves); (4) national group identification (assessed for themselves in relation to the Italian and host country communities) before and after the first wave of COVID-19 in Italy. An inductive thematic analysis of three open-ended questions allowed an in-depth understanding of the experiences of Italian expatriates. Results describe the ICD of participants with the Italian or host country communities, expressed as a difference between COVID-19 risk-perception and risk meta-perception. ICD predicts that when a dissonance of beliefs and behavior is experienced within an individual's group, a shift in identification with another more consonant group will happen, if identity enhancing strategies with the dissonant group are unsuccessful. Our findings showed that when the ICD was experienced with the host country community, this was solved through a disidentification strategy and mediated by negative emotions. Identity enhancing strategies with the host country community were unsuccessfully enacted as described by the qualitative answers of participants referring to episodes of racism, ridicule, and to a Cassandra experience: predicting a catastrophic future without being believed. Unexpectedly, participants experiencing the ICD with the Italian community did not enact a disidentification strategy. An increase in virtual contacts, enhanced sense of belonging, a stronger identification baseline, and different features of the two ICDs can be responsible for these results. This study sheds light on the relevance of ICD in natural settings and on international communities, during global crises.
2020年3月，意大利是首个受到2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）第一波疫情严重冲击并实施中高度防控措施的欧洲国家。594名意大利侨民参与了一项横断面混合方法调查，调查重点为2020年3月初至4月初这段时间。该调查旨在运用群体内认知失调（ICD）框架，描述参与者在COVID-19相关问题上与意大利或东道国社区存在相互冲突的信念和行为时的经历。我们探究了：（1）COVID-19风险认知（针对自身、意大利社区和东道国社区进行评估）；（2）COVID-19风险元认知（参与者对意大利和东道国社区风险认知的认知）；（3）情绪强度（针对自身进行评估）；（4）在意大利第一波COVID-19疫情之前和之后，与意大利和东道国社区相关的群体认同（针对自身进行评估）。对三个开放式问题进行的归纳主题分析，使我们能够深入了解意大利侨民的经历。结果描述了参与者与意大利或东道国社区之间的ICD，表现为COVID-19风险认知与风险元认知之间的差异。ICD预测，当个体所在群体内出现信念和行为失调时，如果与失调群体的身份强化策略不成功，就会发生向另一个更一致群体的身份认同转变。我们的研究结果表明，当与东道国社区经历ICD时，这通过去认同策略得以解决，并由负面情绪介导。正如参与者在提及种族主义、嘲笑事件以及卡珊德拉式经历（即预测灾难性未来却不被相信）的定性回答中所描述的那样，与东道国社区的身份强化策略未成功实施。出乎意料的是，与意大利社区经历ICD的参与者并未实施去认同策略。虚拟联系的增加、归属感的增强、更强的认同基线以及两种ICD的不同特征可能是造成这些结果的原因。本研究揭示了ICD在全球危机期间自然环境和国际社区中的相关性。
