부산대학교 도서관

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a multidimensional and complex event. Hence, it can easily seem overwhelming to conduct empirical and theory-driven research on the psychological phenomena associated with the pandemic. Building on the general process model of threat and defense (GPMTD), we suggest that many of these phenomena can be explained through psychological threats such as a lack of control, uncertainty, and mortality salience unearthed by the pandemic. The GPMTD allows testing the general role of these threats implicated in COVID-19 as well their potential interplay and differences in causing psychological phenomena associated with the pandemic. Doing so requires researchers to test effects between a variety of threat-related, mediating, and dependent variables, which is why we recommend structural equation modeling (SEM) to serve as the statistical tool of choice. After explaining the suitability and application of SEM for investigating global and individual threat effects of COVID-19, the chapter closes with suggestions and recommendations for future research to map and disentangle COVID-19’s threats and the psychological phenomena they cause.