In COVID-19 Health Messaging, Loss Framing Increases Anxiety with Little-to-No Concomitant Benefits: Experimental Evidence from 84 Countries

The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in terms of potential losses (e.g., "If you do not practice these steps, you can endanger yourself and others") or potential gains (e.g., "If you practice these steps, you can protect yourself and others")? Collecting data in 48 languages from 15,929 participants in 84 countries, we experimentally tested the effects of message framing on COVID-19-related judgments, intentions, and feelings. Loss- (vs. gain-) framed messages increased self-reported anxiety among participants cross-nationally with little-to-no impact on policy attitudes, behavioral intentions, or information seeking relevant to pandemic risks. These results were consistent across 84 countries, three variations of the message framing wording, and 560 data processing and analytic choices. Thus, results provide an empirical answer to a global communication question and highlight the emotional toll of loss-framed messages. Critically, this work demonstrates the importance of considering unintended affective consequences when evaluating nudge-style interventions

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e. a controlling message) compared to no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly-internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared to the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly-internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing: Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

Trace Elements of Cu-(Fe)-Sulfide Inclusions in Bronze Age Copper Slags from South Urals and Kazakhstan: Ore Sources and Alloying Additions

In the paper, the results of an investigation into trace elements found in slag sulfides from 14 archaeological Bronze Age settlements of the Cis-Urals, Trans-Urals, and North and Central Kazakhstan are presented. The study used Cu-(Fe)-sulfides as indicator minerals. Cu-(Fe)-S minerals in slags are primarily represented by covellite and chalcocite, as well as by rarer bornite and single chalcopyrite grains. Slag sulfides formed relic clasts and neogenic droplets of different shapes and sizes. Supergenic ores in the Bronze Age in Urals and Kazakhstan played a significant role in the mineralogical raw material base. In sulfides, the main indicator elements, Fe, Co, Ni, As, Se, Te, Sb, Ag, Pb, and Bi, are important markers of copper deposit types. Sulfides from olivine Cr-rich spinel containing slags of Ustye, Turganik are characterized by As-Co-Ni high contents and confined to copper deposits in ultramafic rocks. Olivine sulfide-containing slags from Kamenny Ambar, Konoplyanka and Sarlybay 3 are characterized by Co-Se-Te assemblage and confined to mafic rocks. Glassy sulfide-containing slags from Katzbakh 6, Turganik, Ordynsky Ovrag, Ivanovskoe, Tokskoe, Bulanovskoe 2, Kuzminkovskoe 2, Pokrovskoe, Rodnikovoe, and Taldysay are characterized by Ag-Pb-(Ba)-(Bi) assemblage and confined to cupriferous sandstone deposits. High As, Sb, Sn, and Ba contents found in slags can be seen as indicators of alloying or flux components in primary copper smelting. These include samples from Ustye, Katzbakh 6, Rodnikovoe, and Taldysay sites, where high Ba and As slag contents are identified. The compilation of a database with a broad sample of sulfide compositions from Bronze Age slags and mines in the Urals and Kazakhstan will permit the further identification of ore types and raw materials associated with a particular deposit

Strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) analysis from various sources the southern Trans-Urals

The present dataset contains measurement of biovalable strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) gathered in the southern Trans-Urals. There are four samples types, such as wormwood (n = 95), leached soil (n = 95), water (n = 93) and freshwater mollusks (n = 74), collected to measure bioavailable strontium isotopes. The analysis of Sr isotopic composition was carried out in the cleanrooms (6 and 7 ISO classes) of the Geoanalitik shared research facilities of the Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg). Mollusk shell samples preliminarily cleaned with acetic acid, as well as vegetation samples rinsed with deionized water and ashed, were dissolved by open digestion in concentrated HNO 3 with the addition of H 2 O 2 on a hotplate at 150°C. Water samples were acidified with concentrated nitric acid and filtered. To obtain aqueous leachates, pre-ground soil samples weighing 1 g were taken into polypropylene containers, 10 ml of ultrapure water was added and shaken in for 1 hour, after which they were filtered through membrane cellulose acetate filters with a pore diameter of 0.2 μm. In all samples, the strontium content was determined by ICP-MS (NexION 300S). Then the sample volume corresponding to the Sr content of 600 ng was evaporated on a hotplate at 120°C, the precipitate was dissolved in 7M HNO 3 . Sample solutions were centrifuged at 6000 rpm and strontium was chromatographically isolated using SR resin (Triskem). The strontium isotopic composition was measured on a Neptune Plus multicollector mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma (MC-ICP-MS). To correct mass bias, a combination of bracketing and internal normalization according to the exponential law 88 Sr/ 86 Sr = 8.375209 was used. The results were additionally bracketed using the NIST SRM 987 strontium carbonate reference material using an average deviation from the reference value of 0.710245 for every two samples bracketed between NIST SRM 987 measurements. The long-term reproducibility of the strontium isotopic analysis was evaluated using repeated measurements of NIST SRM 987 during 2020-2022 and yielded 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.71025, 2SD = 0.00012 (104 measurements in two replicates). The within-laboratory standard uncertainty (2σ) obtained for SRM-987 was ± 0.003 %

Strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) from various sources of freshwater from the Southern Trans-Urals

The present dataset contains measurement of biovalable strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) gathered in the southern Trans-Urals. There are four samples types, such as wormwood (n = 95), leached soil (n = 95), water (n = 93) and freshwater mollusks (n = 74), collected to measure bioavailable strontium isotopes. The analysis of Sr isotopic composition was carried out in the cleanrooms (6 and 7 ISO classes) of the Geoanalitik shared research facilities of the Institute of Geology and Geochemistry, the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg). Mollusk shell samples preliminarily cleaned with acetic acid, as well as vegetation samples rinsed with deionized water and ashed, were dissolved by open digestion in concentrated HNO 3 with the addition of H 2 O 2 on a hotplate at 150°C. Water samples were acidified with concentrated nitric acid and filtered. To obtain aqueous leachates, pre-ground soil samples weighing 1 g were taken into polypropylene containers, 10 ml of ultrapure water was added and shaken in for 1 hour, after which they were filtered through membrane cellulose acetate filters with a pore diameter of 0.2 μm. In all samples, the strontium content was determined by ICP-MS (NexION 300S). Then the sample volume corresponding to the Sr content of 600 ng was evaporated on a hotplate at 120°C, the precipitate was dissolved in 7M HNO 3 . Sample solutions were centrifuged at 6000 rpm and strontium was chromatographically isolated using SR resin (Triskem). The strontium isotopic composition was measured on a Neptune Plus multicollector mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma (MC-ICP-MS). To correct mass bias, a combination of bracketing and internal normalization according to the exponential law 88 Sr/ 86 Sr = 8.375209 was used. The results were additionally bracketed using the NIST SRM 987 strontium carbonate reference material using an average deviation from the reference value of 0.710245 for every two samples bracketed between NIST SRM 987 measurements. The long-term reproducibility of the strontium isotopic analysis was evaluated using repeated measurements of NIST SRM 987 during 2020-2022 and yielded 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.71025, 2SD = 0.00012 (104 measurements in two replicates). The within-laboratory standard uncertainty (2σ) obtained for SRM-987 was ± 0.003 %