How behaviors can inform COVID-19 health campaigns | Penn State University psu.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from psu.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Illnesses of controversial celebrities can negatively affect public health
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Not all public figures are equally beloved, and sometimes when more controversial celebrities get sick, it may negatively affect people’s health intentions. In a study of people’s reactions to radio host Rush Limbaugh’s announcement of a lung cancer diagnosis and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s announcement of a diagnosis of COVID-19, researchers at Penn State found that those who took pleasure in their misfortune were themselves less likely to take steps to prevent lung cancer or COVID-19.
“Schadenfreude is the emotion of feeling pleasure in another’s misfortune,” said Jessica Gall Myrick, associate professor of media studies. “In our study, after learning the news of a politician’s illness, if people felt schadenfreude, they were much less likely to intend to take the actions that would prevent either lung cancer or COVID-19.”
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