Libertarian independent ideologies predict lower support for and participation in COVID‐19 safety precautions among Americans

Abstract

In the US, higher conservatism has consistently been linked to lower receptiveness toward COVID‐19 safety precautions. The present studies extended these findings by examining how specific dimensions of conservatism contributed to this relationship. Three studies (total N = 1123) found that conservatives with higher Libertarian Independent attitudes reported less support for and participation in COVID‐19 safety precautions. These effects remained robust after controlling for demographics, general political orientation, COVID‐19 threat perception, and personality. These findings offer nuanced insight into how those with different conservative ideologies responded to COVID‐19 safety precautions.