Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

COVID-19 was declared an international pandemic in March 2020 and infected millions of people globally in less than six months. Research suggests that a large amount of both accurate and misinformation exists on the pandemic, and it would be expected that an individual’s political orientation would influence their perception of the virus and the information that they endorse. Based on past research, it would be expected that both liberals and conservatives would be equally concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic and endorse similar measures. However, Republicans downplayed the pandemic and were more likely to consider it a hoax, while Democrats exaggerated the pandemic and were more likely to advocate for excessive measures. I asked participants to complete various measures related to their political ideology and beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic. 3 variables were tested as potential mediators and moderators that could explain this relationship. The results suggest that selective exposure to attitude consistent information mediated the relationship between political ideology and perceptions of the pandemic. Behavioral immune system sensitivity and disgust reappraisal where also tested as potential pathways, but the results were not significant. These results suggest that selective exposure is a major factor in determining an individual’s perception of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year manuscript completed

2021

Year degree awarded

2021

Author's Keywords

COVID-19, Selective Exposure, Political Orientation

Thesis Advisor

Sean C Rife

Committee Chair

Sean C Rife

Committee Member

Jana M Hackathorn

Committee Member

Esther N K Malm

Committee Member

Patrick J Cushen

Document Type

Thesis

Additional Files
Thesis_4-26_2021.docx (2429 kB)
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