OK, Not-OK in times of pandemic

Giovanni Felice Pace takes an existential perspective on coronavirus.

How to cope with pain

Ginny Smith talks to Dr Sam Hughes about pain, to introduce the latest episode of our Research Digest podcast, PsychCrunch. We also share a collection of articles from the archive on pain.
The latest episode of our Research Digest podcast PsychCrunch asks what psychology can teach us about dealing with pain. It is presented by Ginny Smith, and sponsored by Routledge Psychology.

Coronavirus and obsessive-type conditions

There is a possible danger that the current uncertainty around COVID-19 could make things worse for those with obsessive-type conditions. For those with OCD or conditions involving cleanliness, neatness, germ-phobia, tidiness or some obsessive behaviours, the COVID-19 outbreak may actually reinforce to them that their problem-behaviours were actually what kept them safe during the outbreak.

'Supported isolation is likely to be particularly stressful'

n this kind of outbreak, does the psychological get considered as important in amongst all the biological and medical issues?

Human behaviour will be a key factor affecting the speed and spread of the coronavirus, and therefore an understanding of the psychosocial factors that affect human behaviour in this context will be essential.

Social psychology of the coronavirus: Will flies save us?

In urinals, not all men are as accurate as they could be, which often results in unsightly overflows that are costly to clean up. To overcome this problem, some urinal designers have come up with the clever idea of depicting a fly near the opening.

Can we make jokes about coronavirus?,

The Onion’s timeless masterpiece, ‘That’s not funny: my brother died that way’ is a useful reminder that nothing is funny for everyone, everywhere. This lack of a universal determinant for humour can collide with our natural desire to make jokes and make light of difficult topics: people can feel that a joke is ‘too soon’ or ‘that’s not a funny subject’ but there is no law about what is too soon, or what is (and isn’t funny).

‘All interventions must stand up to scientific scrutiny’,

Professor of Behavioural Science and Security Brooke Rogers OBE (King’s College London) is a social psychologist whose research explores risk communication, along with perceptions of, and responses to, risk and threat. She pointed out that the UK government has had pandemic diseases on their radar for many years.

How will you help to sustain collective efficacy?

Daniella Watson has personally and professionally been part of the collective response to Covid-19.

The outbreak shows us the psychological makeup of our society,

There are a whole range of factors involved in how the situation will unfold. This will range from the individual level (e.g. individuals’ adherence to official guidelines) to the group level (e.g. how small and larger groups will regulate their behaviour and norms to limit the spread) and finally to the national level (e.g. what guidance will be provided and how, as well as how movements in and out of countries will be managed). So the answer is quite tricky, and no definite outcomes can be predicted.