Trust in scientific information mediates associations between conservatism and coronavirus responses in the U.S., but few other nations

Abstract

U.S.-based research suggests conservatism is linked with less concern about contracting coronavirus and less preventative behaviors to avoid infection. Here, we investigate whether these tendencies are partly attributable to distrust in scientific information, and evaluate whether they generalize outside the U.S., using public data and recruited representative samples across three studies (Ntotal = 34,710). In Studies 1 and 2, we examine these relationships in the U.S., yielding converging evidence for a sequential indirect effect of conservatism on compliance through scientific (dis)trust and infection concern. In Study 3, we compare these relationships across 19 distinct countries. Although the relationships between trust in scientific information about the coronavirus, concern about coronavirus infection, and compliance are consistent cross-nationally, the relationships between conservatism and trust in scientific information are not. These relationships are strongest in North America. Consequently, the indirect effects observed in Studies 1–2 only replicate in North America (the U.S. and Canada) and in Indonesia. Study 3 also found parallel direct and indirect effects on support for lockdown restrictions. These associations suggest not only that relationships between conservatism and compliance are not universal, but localized to particular countries where conservatism is more strongly related to trust in scientific information about the coronavirus pandemic.

Does partisan media make a pawn of mistrust? Institutional trust and preventive COVID‐19 health behaviors in a polarized pandemic

“…Results for the datasets at each time point are reported in Table 3. While conclusions about causality cannot be drawn from this correlational and cross‐sectional data, mediation modelling can be useful to assess whether the data is consistent with the proposed theoretical model (Fiedler et al., 2011; McLamore et al., 2022). However, it is important to exercise caution in interpretation as not only is cross‐sectional data incapable of proving causal relationships, but under such conditions the magnitude of the indirect effects themselves may be over‐ or underestimated (Maxwell & Cole, 2007; Maxwell et al., 2011).…”

Conservative Media Use and COVID-19 Related Behavior: The Moderating Role of Media Literacy Variables

“…With respect to public opinion and reaction to the pandemic, existing research indicates that the politicized nature of COVID-19 is reflected in the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of everyday citizens. As demonstrated [55], conservative ideology has been linked to less concern about being infected by COVID-19 and less adoption of protective health behaviors, although The authors find evidence that these outcomes are partly driven by a lack of trust in science (which conservatism was disproportionately associated with). In this same study, the authors note that these association are not unique to the U.S., yet are most pronounced in the U.S. and Canada [55].…”

Science communication in the face of skepticism, populism, and ignorance: what ‘Don’t Look Up’ tells us about science denial — and what it doesn’t

“…Don't Look Up clearly adopts a US American view on anti-science resentments that is to some degree barely comparable to other countries. The film depicts sharp partisan divides, strong affective polarization, high distrust toward science within certain social milieus, and pronounced news media sensationalism, which have been found to be characteristic of the United States but not, or to a lesser extent, of several countries other than the US [Boxell, Gentzkow & Shapiro, 2020;Dimock & Wike, 2020;Kleemans & Hendriks Vettehen, 2009;McLamore et al, 2022]. Don't Look Up also suggests that societies will generally become more critical toward science when facing catastrophes -which conflicts with evidence showing that existential crises like the COVID-19 pandemic can lead publics to have more trust in science and less populist reservations against it in countries like Germany and Switzerland [Bromme, Mede, Thomm, Kremer & Ziegler, 2022;Mede & Schäfer, 2022].…”