2023 - Full Presentation Schedule
Political Affiliation and Attitudes toward COVID-19 on a College Campus
Start Date
31-3-2023 1:45 PM
End Date
31-3-2023 2:00 PM
Location
CASB 105 - Psychology
Document Type
Presentation
Abstract
Historically, political affiliation has predicted anxiety surrounding the spread of new viruses, such as Ebola and SARS, with Republicans reporting greater health anxiety than Democrats (e.g., Beall, Marlise, & Schaller, 2016). These findings coincide with political differences in disgust aversion, death anxiety, and interest in novelty, with Republicans reporting greater disgust aversion and death anxiety and less interest in novel stimuli or environments than Democrats (Inbar, Pizarro, Iyer, & Haidt, 2012).
To determine if this historical finding applied to COVID-19, students, faculty, and staff at a small liberal arts university completed a survey about their concerns about virus spread, attitudes toward social distancing and COVID-19 restrictions, and political affiliation in the fall of 2020. Students had statistically lower concerns of virus spread and consequences of obtaining COVID-19 than faculty. Students and staff were statically more optimistic about returning to normal campus life than faculty.
Contrary to previous virus outbreaks, political affiliation predicted both concern of virus spread and optimism: Participants self-reporting as Democrats were the most concerned, followed by “no affiliation,” and Republicans were the least concerned. Republican participants were also the most optimistic about dealing with the virus in the future. Could this mark a major shift in political affiliation and fear of viruses and novelty, or is this just an anomaly?
Keywords: Political affiliation, health anxiety, attitudes, survey
Political Affiliation and Attitudes toward COVID-19 on a College Campus
CASB 105 - Psychology
Historically, political affiliation has predicted anxiety surrounding the spread of new viruses, such as Ebola and SARS, with Republicans reporting greater health anxiety than Democrats (e.g., Beall, Marlise, & Schaller, 2016). These findings coincide with political differences in disgust aversion, death anxiety, and interest in novelty, with Republicans reporting greater disgust aversion and death anxiety and less interest in novel stimuli or environments than Democrats (Inbar, Pizarro, Iyer, & Haidt, 2012).
To determine if this historical finding applied to COVID-19, students, faculty, and staff at a small liberal arts university completed a survey about their concerns about virus spread, attitudes toward social distancing and COVID-19 restrictions, and political affiliation in the fall of 2020. Students had statistically lower concerns of virus spread and consequences of obtaining COVID-19 than faculty. Students and staff were statically more optimistic about returning to normal campus life than faculty.
Contrary to previous virus outbreaks, political affiliation predicted both concern of virus spread and optimism: Participants self-reporting as Democrats were the most concerned, followed by “no affiliation,” and Republicans were the least concerned. Republican participants were also the most optimistic about dealing with the virus in the future. Could this mark a major shift in political affiliation and fear of viruses and novelty, or is this just an anomaly?
Keywords: Political affiliation, health anxiety, attitudes, survey