Figure 3
Self-reported stress is selectively associated with an increase in “How” searches. Stress level in the UK was associated with (a) the UK Google Search Volume Index of “How” searches (detrended and Z scored), but not with (b) the Valence Index [0 (most negative valenced) and 100 (most positive valenced)] (detrended and Z scored), nor with (c) the mean UK Google Search Volume Index of other questions (i.e., What, Which, Who, Where, Why, When, and Whose; detrended and Z scored). UK COVID-19 related confinement score (detrended and Z scored; bottom panel) was associated with both (a) the UK Google Search Volume Index of “How” searches and (c) the mean UK Google Search Volume Index of other questions, but not (b) the Valence Index. Stress levels and COVID-19 confinement scores (all detrended and Z-scored) were entered in the same models, controlling for each other. The X and Y values are the residuals (regressing out the respective control variable). The fine line represents the confidence interval. ***p < 0.001, *p < 0.05, N.S. not significant (two-sided).
