Responding to uncertainty caused by Covid -19

The COVID-19 pandemic that has spread to almost all countries in the world, including Indonesia, has caused a multitude of socioeconomic uncertainties in various aspects of life. The present study aims to describe responses to coronavirus-related uncertainties, particularly responses from people in early adulthood. The sample consisted of 166 individuals (38 males and 128 females), aged 20-40years, from 12 provinces in Indonesia including West Sumatra, Special Capital Region of Jakarta, West Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and South Sulawesi among others. Participants completed the uncertainty response scale via Google form. The results showed that participants perceived that COVID-19 has caused uncertainties mainly in the education and economy sectors. The cognitive uncertainty of all participants was found to be at a high level. Almost all participants also reported a high desire for change, and the results vary on emotional uncertainty. In addition, job status underlies differences in emotional uncertainty and desire for change, but not for cognitive uncertainty. Conclusions are discussed with highlights on methodological limitations and the need for further research related to psychological outcomes of uncertainty.