Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: longitudinal and cross-national evidence

Stroebe, Wolfgang and vanDellen, Michelle R. and Abakoumkin, Georgios and Lemay, Edward P. and Schiavone, William M. and Agostini, Maximilian and Bélanger, Jocelyn J. and Gützkow, Ben and Kreienkamp, Jannis and Reitsema, Anne Margit and Abdul Khaiyom, Jamilah Hanum and Ahmedi, Vjolica and Akkas, Handan and Almenara, Carlos A. and Atta, Mohsin and Bağcı, Çiğdem and Basel, Sima and Kida, Edona Berisha and Bernardo, Allan B.I. and Buttrick, Nicholas R. and Chobthamkit, Phatthanakit and Choi, Hoon Seok and Cristea, Mioara and Csaba, Sára and Damnjanović, Kaja and Danyliuk, Ivan and Dash, Arobindu and Di Santo, Daniela and Douglas, Karen M. and Enea, Violeta and Faller, Daiane Gracieli and Fitzsimons, Gavan and Gheorghiu, Alexandra and Gómez, Ángel and Hamaidia, Ali and Han, Qing and Helmy, Mai and Hudiyana, Joevarian and Jeronimus, Bertus F. and Jiang, Ding Yu and Jovanović, Veljko and Kamenov, Željka and Kende, Anna and Keng, Shian Ling and Kieu, Tra Thi Thanh and Koc, Yasin and Kovyazina, Kamila and Kozytska, Inna and Krause, Joshua and Kruglanksi, Arie W. and Kurapov, Anton and Kutlaca, Maja and Lantos, Nóra Anna and Jaya Lemsmana, Cokorda Bagus and Louis, Winnifred R. and Lueders, Adrian and Malik, Najma Iqbal and Martinez, Anton and McCabe, Kira O. and Mehulić, Jasmina and Milla, Mirra Noor and Mohammed, Idris and Molinario, Erica and Moyano, Manuel and Muhammad, Hayat and Mula, Silvana and Muluk, Hamdi and Myroniuk, Solomiia and Najafi, Reza and Nisa, Claudia F. and Nyúl, Boglárka and O’Keefe, Paul A. and Olivas Osuna, Jose Javier and Osin, Evgeny N. and Park, Joonha and Pica, Gennaro and Pierro, Antonio and Rees, Jonas and Resta, Elena and Rullo, Marika and Ryan, Michelle K. and Samekin, Adil and Santtila, Pekka and Sasin, Edyta and Schumpe, Birga M. and Selim, Heyla A. and Stanton, Michael Vicente and Sultana, Samiah and Sutton, Robbie M. and Tseliou, Eleftheria and Utsugi, Akira and Van Breen, Jolien Anne and Van Lissa, Caspar J. and Van Veen, Kees and Vázquez, Alexandra and Wollast, Robin and Yeung, Victoria Wai Lan and Zand, Somayeh and Žeželj, Iris Lav and Zheng, Bang and Zick, Andreas and Zúñiga, Claudia and Pontus Leander, N. (2021) Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: longitudinal and cross-national evidence. PLoS One, 16 (10). ISSN 1932-6203 (Print) 1932-6203 (Online)

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Abstract

During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. conservative politicians and the media downplayed the risk of both contracting COVID-19 and the effectiveness of recommended health behaviors. Health behavior theories suggest perceived vulnerability to a health threat and perceived effectiveness of recommended health-protective behaviors determine motivation to follow recommendations. Accordingly, we predicted that—as a result of politicization of the pandemic—politically conservative Americans would be less likely to enact recommended health-protective behaviors. In two longitudinal studies of U.S. residents, political conservatism was inversely associated with perceived health risk and adoption of health-protective behaviors over time. The effects of political orientation on health-protective behaviors were mediated by perceived risk of infection, perceived severity of infection, and perceived effectiveness of the health-protective behaviors. In a global cross-national analysis, effects were stronger in the U.S. (N = 10,923) than in an international sample (total N = 51,986), highlighting the increased and overt politicization of health behaviors in the U.S.
Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences > Academic programs > Psychology
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Depositing User: Çiğdem Bağcı
Date Deposited: 28 Aug 2022 10:27
Last Modified: 28 Aug 2022 10:27
URI: https://research.sabanciuniv.edu/id/eprint/43822

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