Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33223612›Full record

ArticleJournal of risk and uncertainty2020

Political polarization in US residents' COVID-19 risk perceptions, policy preferences, and protective behaviors.

Wändi Bruine de Bruin, Htay-Wah Saw, Dana P Goldman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of risk and uncertainty, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 116 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
116citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

116 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Risk Perception towards COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. How Are Perceived Ambiguity and Risk Beliefs Related? Evidence From Longitudinal and Daily Diary Data.Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis · 2026
    Article
  8. Beyond borders: Does firm-level exposure to state and local paid sick leave mandates lead to intra-firm spillovers?Journal of policy analysis and management : [the journal of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management] · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Political identity and risk politics: Evidence from a pandemic.Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Modeling and testing strategic interdependence and tipping in public policy implementation.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Scenario-Based Messages on Social Media Motivate COVID-19 Information Seeking.Journal of applied research in memory and cognition · 2024
    Article

56 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Wändi Bruine de BruinSchaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, VPD, 635 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089-3333 USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1601-789X
Htay-Wah SawCenter for Economic and Social Research, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, VPD, 635 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089-3333 USA.
Dana P GoldmanSchaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, VPD, 635 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089-3333 USA.

Funding

Enhancing engagement and participation of marginalized community residents in the UASU01AG077280 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI Arie Kapteyn · 2023 to 2026
$50.9M
Toward Next Generation Data on Health and Life Changes at Older Ages: Administrative Supplement to track the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on American familiesU01AG054580 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI KAPTEYN, ARIE · 2017 to 2022
$27.3M
NIA NIH HHS U01 AG054580NIA NIH HHS U01 AG077280
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

When the novel coronavirus entered the US, most US states implemented lockdown measures. In April-May 2020, state governments started political discussions about whether it would be worth the risk to reduce protective measures. In a highly politicized environment, risk perceptions and preferences for risk mitigation may vary by political inclinations. In April-May 2020, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of 5517 members of the University of Southern California's Understanding America Study. Of those, 37% identified as Democrats, 32% as Republican, and 31% as Third Party/Independent. Overall, Democrats perceived more risk associated with COVID-19 than Republicans, including for getting infected, being hospitalized and dying if infected, as well as running out of money as a result of the pandemic. Democrats were also more likely than Republicans to express concerns that states would lift economic restrictions too quickly, and to report mask use and social distancing. Generally, participants who identified as Third Party/Independent fell in between. Democrats were more likely to report watching MSNBC or CNN (vs. not), while Republicans were more likely to report watching Fox News (vs. not), and Third Party/Independents tended to watch neither. However, political inclinations predicted reported policy preferences, mask use, and social distancing, in analyses that accounted for differences in use of media sources, risk perceptions, and demographic background. In these analyses, participants' reported media use added to the partisan divide in preferences for the timing of lifting economic restrictions and reported protective behaviors. Implications for risk communication are discussed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11166-020-09336-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Indexed as

COVID-19 risk perceptionsHealth policyPandemic preparednessPolitical beliefs and polarizationProbability-based internet panel

Identifiers

PMID33223612
PMCPMC7672261

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.