Emotional and Cognitive Responses to COVID-19 Information Overload under Lockdown Predict Media Attention and Risk Perceptions of COVID-19.

The present study examined positive and negative effects of health communication on the fight against the COVID-19 under lockdown, during the first wave of the pandemic in Greece. An online survey (N = 1,199) examined the relationships among media trust, emotional and cognitive reactions to COVID-19 information overload, media attention, and risk perceptions regarding COVID-19. Participants' media attention (exposure and attention combined) to information about the pandemic was positively related to their risk perceptions (perceived susceptibility and severity) about the disease. Media attention was dependent on participants' trust in the media as valid sources of information, but also on their cognitive and emotional reactions to COVID-19 information overload. In response to this overload, they produced negative thoughts and more negative (fear and anger) than positive (protection) emotions. These distinct reactions had differential effects on media attention and risk perceptions. Fear and protection were positively related to media attention and risk perceptions, while anger and negative thinking undermined attention and perceptions. Furthermore, all reactions depended on media trust, which mediated the effect on media attention. These findings highlighted desirable and some undesirable effects of health communication in the fight against COVID-19, which can be used to improve health communication in the future.