The path from distrusting Western actors to conspiracy beliefs and noncompliance with public health guidance during the COVID-19 crisis
| Autor: | Dana C. Sultănescu, Dan Sultănescu, Vlad Achimescu |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak
medicine.medical_specialty Sociology and Political Science Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Distrust business.industry Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) media_common.quotation_subject Public health 05 social sciences Public relations 050105 experimental psychology 0506 political science Political science 050602 political science & public administration Disinformation medicine 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences Narrative business PATH (variable) media_common |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. 31:299-310 |
| ISSN: | 1745-7297 1745-7289 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/17457289.2021.1924746 |
| Popis: | Global crises provide a fertile environment for the proliferation of disinformation and conspiracy narratives that feed on the people’s distrust of institutions. We investigate perceptions and beliefs related to COVID-19 in Romania during the lockdown and the state of alert (April and July 2020) using survey data. Building on measures tested in previous research, we identify the public’s vulnerability to conspiracy narratives and its willingness to comply with public health guidance. We test whether individuals exhibiting pro-Russian or anti-Western attitudes believe more strongly in COVID-19 conspiracy narratives compared to the rest of the population. Then, we check if those believing conspiracy narratives are less susceptible to comply with public health recommendations. We find an indirect relationship between distrusting Western actors and noncompliance with COVID-19 guidelines. Thus, pro-Russian and anti-EU, U.S. and NATO attitudes are linked to stronger conspiracy beliefs, which relate to lower levels of concern and knowledge regarding the virus, which in turn are associated with reduced compliance with official guidelines. This suggests that openness to anti-Western narratives may have behavioral consequences. The findings highlight potential sources of unsafe behaviors during the pandemic, especially in the young democracies of Eastern Europe. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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