Information, partisanship, and preferences in a pandemic

Abstract

We investigate the role of information exposure in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether baseline political affiliation and news diet mediate effects. In December 2020, we randomly assigned 5,009 U.S. adults to nine brief text-based segments related to the dynamics of the pandemic and the safety of various behaviors, estimating the effects on 15 binary outcomes related to COVID-19 policy preferences, expected consumer behavior, and beliefs about safety. Average effects reach significance (95% CI) in 47 out of 120 models and equal 7.4 ppt. The baseline effects are large for all outcomes except beliefs. By contrast, interaction effects by political party and media diet are significant for beliefs but rarely significant for policy and behavioral attitudes. These findings suggest partisan policy and behavioral gaps are driven, at least in part, by exposure to different information and that equalizing information sources would lead to partisan convergence in beliefs.

A Look Back - Learning from Africa: Covid 19 - Politicization, Polarization, And Resistance, The Us and Africa

“…As noted by Rothwell, polarization, for the most part, became the "strongest prediction of behavior and attitudes about Covid-19. Ideally, public health policy would be driven by theory and evidence, not the relative power of partisans" (Rothwell and Makridis, 2020). Unfortunately, Trump's behavior, words, and actions depicted the behavior of a ruthless autocratic leadership and the failure to realize that not showing concern for the lives and protection of Americans over economics may, in part, caused his presidential election bid.…”

“…As Rovny et al argued: "Indeed position on particular related Covid issues are closely linked to the economic and cultural commitments that motivate how parties position themselves on the broader set of issues they regularly take to their voters..." (Rovny et al, 2022). Similarly, Rothwell and Makridis contended that Partisan affiliation is often the strongest single predictor of behavior and attitudes about Covid-19, even more powerful than local infection rates or demographic characteristics, such as age and health status" (Rothwell and Makridis, 2020). It is saddening that Covid 19 public health policy was driven by partisanship politics rather than scientific theory and evidence.…”