The occurrence of COVID-19 has a strong impact on individuals’ as well as public life. This Special Issue brings together research on language and communication addressing the challenges resulting from the Corona virus situation. Seven original papers followed by a discussion, address research on language and communication related to COVID-19 using different theoretical backgrounds, methodological approaches, as well as different foci on individual, interpersonal, and intergroup perspectives. The foci addressed in the contributions of the Special Issue stretch from discrimination and intergroup stigmatization to the laypeople's perception and evaluation of science and health communication messages.
Balog-WayD. H. P.McComasK. A. (2020). COVID-19: Reflections on trust, trade-offs, and preparedness. Journal of Risk Research, 23(7–8), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2020.1758192
2.
BangerterA. (2021). Discussion: Making sense of public sensemaking relative to the COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
CantareroK.BiałobrzeskaO.van TilburgW. A. P. (2020). Social psychological bulletin special topic on psychosocial functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Psychological Bulletin, 15(4), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.4683
5.
DohleS.WingenT.SchreiberM. (2020). Acceptance and adoption of protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of trust in politics and trust in science. Social Psychological Bulletin, 15(4), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.4315
6.
GeorgiouN.DelfabbroP.BalzanR. (2020). COVID-19-related conspiracy beliefs and their relationship with perceived stress and pre-existing conspiracy beliefs. Personality and Individual Differences, 166 (January), 110201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110201
7.
GilesH.HansenK.AngusD.GalloisC. (2021). Prologue: History, themes, analysis, and rationale. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X20978440
8.
GordilsJ.ElliotA. J.ToprakkiranS.JamiesonJ. P. (2021). The effects of COVID-19 on perceived intergroup competition and negative intergroup outcomes. Journal of Social Psychology, 161(4), 419–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2021.1918617
9.
HarwoodJ.TracyK. (2021). Language—AND—social psychology: Epilogue. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(1), 172–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X20962846
10.
Heyd-MetzuyanimE.SharonA. J.Baram-TsabariA. (2021). Mathematical media literacy in the COVID-19 pandemic and its relation to school mathematics education. Educational Studies in Mathematics. Advance online: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10075-8
11.
JanssenI.HendriksF.JucksR. (2021). Face masks might protect you from COVID-19: The communication of scientific uncertainty by scientists vs. Politicians in the context of policy in the making. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
12.
JettenJ.HaslamS. A.ReicherS.CruwysT. (Eds.). (2020). Together apart: The psychology of COVID-19. Sage.
13.
KatilaJ.GanY.GoodwinM. H. (2020). Interaction rituals and ‘social distancing’: New haptic trajectories and touching from a distance in the time of COVID-19. Discourse Studies, 22(4), 418–440. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445620928213
14.
KazakA. E. (2020). Psychology is an essential science: American psychologist highlights the role of psychology in understanding and addressing COVID-19. American Psychologist, 75(5), 605–606. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000682
15.
LuxA.SchnepfJ.JinZ.FormanowiczM. (2021). Left out—feelings of social exclusion incite individuals with high conspiracy mentality to reject complex scientific messages. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
16.
MalikM.HoppF. R.ChenY.WeberR. (2021). Does regional variation in pathogen prevalence predict the moralization of language in COVID-19 news?Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
17.
MeierB. P.CookC. L.FaasseK. (2021). Social psychology and COVID-19: What the field can tell us about behavior in a pandemic. The Journal of Social Psychology, 161(4), 403–407. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2021.1935830
18.
NanX.ThompsonT. (2021). Introduction to the special issue on “public health communication in an age of COVID-19.”Health Communication, 36(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1853330
19.
NguyenA.Catalan-MatamorosD. (2020). Digital mis/disinformation and public engagement with health and science controversies: Fresh perspectives from covid-19. Media and Communication, 8(2), 323–328. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v8i2.3352
20.
PriestS.MyrickJ. G. (2020). Communicating risk and uncertainty in the face of COVID-19. Science Communication, 42(5), 559–561. https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547020962104
RoozenbeekJ.SchneiderC. R.DryhurstS.KerrJ.FreemanA. L. J.RecchiaG.van der BlesA. M.van der LindenS. (2020). Susceptibility to misinformation about COVID-19 around the world. Royal Society Open Science, 7(10), 201199. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201199
23.
ShulmanH. C.BullockO. M.RiggsE. E. (2021). The interplay of jargon, motivation, and fatigue while processing COVID-19 crisis communication over time. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
24.
TianX.KimY.SolomonD. H. (2021). The effects of type of pronouns and hope appeals in supportive messages about COVID-19. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
25.
TuK.ChenS.MacDonnell MeslerR. (2021). “We” are all in the pandemic, but “you” can get through this: The effects of pronouns on likelihood to stay-at-home during COVID-19. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
26.
VacchiniS.FasoliF.VolpatoC. (2021). “You cannot get into my taxi!” perceptions of a COVID-19 based rejection episode reported in the newspapers. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 40(5–6), this issue.
27.
VowelsL. M.CarnelleyK. B.Francois-WalcottR. R. R. (2021). Partner support and goal outcomes during COVID-19: A mixed methods study. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(2), 393–408. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2745
28.
VragaE. K.TullyM.BodeL. (2020). Empowering users to respond to misinformation about covid-19. Media and Communication, 8(2), 475. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v8i2.3200
29.
ZaccolettiS.CamachoA.CorreiaN.AguiarC.MasonL.AlvesR. A.DanielJ. R. (2020). Parents’ perceptions of student academic motivation during the COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-country comparison. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 592670. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.592670
