Date of Award
Summer 8-24-2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Joseph Ferrari, PhD
Second Advisor
Verena Graupmann, PhD
Abstract
At the start of the pandemic in the United States, government-imposed behavioral restrictions were enacted to reduce transmission of COVID-19. Mandated time at home motivated many to engage in organizing or decluttering projects. For some, restrictions may have increased the experience of psychological reactance, a negative motivational state evoked by a perceived threat to freedom. The proposed research studied decluttering behavior in a community-based sample, yielding insights on what influences disposal decisions in individuals who have clutter but do not consider themselves as having a hoarding problem. Three previously unexplored variables, fear of COVID-19, reactance, and family composition are considered in the unique context of a pandemic as they relate to decluttering. It is hypothesized that in the context of the pandemic, fear of COVID-19 and psychological reactance may further hinder decluttering projects. Surveying a sample of 227 U.S. adults, we found that fear of COVID-19 and reactance were related to clutter impact.
Recommended Citation
Patel, Devki, "Address the Mess: the Role of Fear of COVID-19, Indecision, and Reactance in Decluttering Projects" (2024). College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations. 551.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/csh_etd/551
SLP Collection
no