COVID19 study


PROJECT TITLE: Everyday life during the COVID19 pandemic


This research project concerned how COVID-19 preparations (e.g., social distancing, quarantine) impact the everyday lives and well-being of adult students. The study was conducted by Dr Amanda Krause and Prof James Dimmock at James Cook University (JCU ethics ID: H8074). 

Principal Investigators:
Dr Amanda Krause                                     Prof James Dimmock
College: Healthcare Sciences                     College: Healthcare Sciences
James Cook University                               James Cook University
Email: Amanda.Krause1[at]jcu.edu.au       Email: james.dimmock[at]jcu.edu.au


A second phase of the research has been conducted by students as part of their 4th year course requirements at James Cook University. This study has been approved by the JCU Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: H8074).

Student Investigators

Jacqueline Garrigan                                     Jane Glynn
College: Healthcare Sciences                      College: Healthcare Sciences
James Cook University                                James Cook University
Email: jacqui.garrigan[at]my.jcu.edu.au      Email: jane.glynn[at]my.jcu.edu.au

Daniel Jakob                                                Heather Lewis
College: Healthcare Sciences                      College: Healthcare Sciences
James Cook University                                James Cook University
Email: daniel.jakob[at]my.jcu.edu.au          Email: heather.lewis[at]my.jcu.edu.au

Connor Mitchell
College: Healthcare Sciences  
James Cook University 
Email: connor.mitchell[at]my.jcu.edu.au

 
For information about COVID19, please visit the Department of Health’s website at: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert.


Summaries of the project findings are posted on this project page, when available.

We have published two journal articles detailing findings from this project, so far.

[1] Music listening predictive of improved life satisfaction during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Abstract: In this study, we assessed Australian university students’ media use (i.e., listening to music, playing video/computer games, watching TV/movies/streaming videos, and using social media) throughout early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, and determined whether media use was related to changes in life satisfaction. Participants (N = 127) were asked to complete six online questionnaires, capturing pre- and during-pandemic experiences. The results indicated that media use varied substantially throughout the study period, and at the within-person level, life satisfaction was positively associated with music listening and negatively associated with watching TV/videos/movies. The findings highlight the potential benefits of music listening during COVID-19 and other periods of social isolation.
  • You can access and download the full article at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.631033/full
  • The reference is:
    Krause, A. E., Dimmock, J., Rebar, A., & Jackson, B. (2021). Music listening predictive of improved life satisfaction during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 11: 631033. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.631033

 

[2] Relationships between social interactions, basic psychological needs, and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Abstract: In this study, we were interested in how social lockdowns associated with COVID-19 have led individuals to increasingly rely on video conferencing and other technology-based interactions to fulfil social needs. We measured university students’ social interactions (both technology-based and face-to-face), psychological needs, and wellbeing were assessed at six time points across four months of government-enforced restrictions in Australia. The results demonstrated that, at the within-subjects level, relatedness satisfaction (feeling understood by, cared for, and connected to others) significantly mediated the relationship between technology-based interaction and wellbeing. Autonomy satisfaction (self-initiation and feeling ownership over decisions and behaviours) mediated the relationship between face-to-face interactions and wellbeing at the within-person level. Our discussion in the paper is centred on the importance of technology-based interactions for needs satisfaction and wellbeing during periods of social isolation.
  • You can access and download the full article at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08870446.2021.1921178
  • The reference is:
    Dimmock, J., Krause, A. E., Rebar, A., & Jackson, B. (2021). Relationships between social interactions, basic psychological needs, and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology & Health, advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2021.1921178