The link between anger and admiration toward governmental actions and self-reported preventive behaviour in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, across six correlational studies in four different countries (total N = 4937), we examined the link between citizens' anger with and admiration for the government's actions and decisions (i.e., system-based anger and admiration) and engagement in preventive behaviour. The internal meta-analyses showed that individuals who admired the government's actions were more likely to adopt personal hygiene and social distancing behaviour. Yet, the link between emotions and preventive behaviour differed concerning the target of emotions, especially for anger. Specifically, anger about restrictions imposed by the government was negatively related to preventive behaviours, but this relationship was not significant when the target of anger was the government's overall handling of the pandemic. Our findings emphasise the importance of citizens' emotions and the targets of those emotions during the crisis.     

“Just Beyond my Front Door”: Public Discourse Experiences of Children Adopted from China

The phenotypic differences between children and their adoptive parents in transracial adoptions make the child’s adoptive status readily apparent in public. Consequently, adoptees field more frequent questions and comments about the adoption. The present study examines the nature of public conversations about ethnicity and adoption of 41 elementary school age girls adopted from China and the ecological factors related to less frequent occurrences of such conversations and to the positive nature of these experiences. Results indicate that family structure (single parent vs. two parents) and parental bicultural competence predict membership in the favorable condition (reporting fewer public interaction experiences and reporting more positive experiences, respectively). Child’s age and racial diversity of the town of residence do not predict these outcomes. Implications for families, adoption professionals, teachers and researchers are discussed.     

Becoming their mother: Knowledge,attitudes, and practices of orphanage personnel in Ukraine

Institutional caregiving can have adverse effects on children, yet little is known about the caregivers of institutionalized young children. We surveyed staff in three Ukrainian Baby Homes about their attitudes toward the nature of their work and the needs of the young children in their care. Seventy‐one caregivers completed anonymous, semistructured surveys. Popular reasons for working in Baby Homes included benefits and convenient work shifts, morality, and affection for children. Caregivers reported both favorable aspects of the work (enjoyment of children, professional satisfaction) and work difficulties (conflicts, lack of cooperation, little administrative support). In addition, they noted deficiencies in care: high caregiver–child ratio, frequent care disruptions, and lack of stimulation. Direct caregivers (in‐room “nannies,” educators, and nurses) and other providers (e.g., clinic nurses, physicians, therapists) differed in university‐degree attainment, professional motivation, enjoyment of children, professional satisfaction, and perceptions of self as substitute mother. A number of potential “windows for change” were identified, including recognition of deficiencies in institutional care and possibilities for improvement. Implications for interventions are discussed, including the need to consider lack of staff support, high emotional stress, internal conflicts, beliefs and attitudes about institutionalized children and their biological parents, and differences in staff educational achievement.