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The politics of mask-wearing: Political preferences, reactance, and conflict aversion during COVID

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  • Young, Dannagal G.
  • Rasheed, Huma
  • Bleakley, Amy
  • Langbaum, Jessica B.

Abstract

The current project examines how psychological reactance and conflict orientation relate to the highly politicized debate over mask-wearing in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore how psychological reactance and conflict orientation are related to self-reported mask-wearing, and how these same predispositions are correlated with political beliefs. We then assess how favorability towards President Trump in the context of the 2020 Election was uniquely correlated with these traits and how Trump favorability both mediated and moderated the effects of conflict orientation and psychological reactance on individuals' likelihood of wearing masks. Results from a national survey of U.S. adults from Nov–Dec 2020 suggest that Trump favorability was positively associated with trait reactance, negatively associated with conflict aversion, and negatively associated with self-reported mask-wearing. The opposite was true of favorability towards Joe Biden. Moderation analyses indicate that conflict-approaching Biden detractors were especially unlikely to report wearing masks, while mediation analyses show that political preferences significantly mediated the relationships between both psychological traits and self-reported mask-wearing. Implications for the politicization of health messaging and health behavior are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Young, Dannagal G. & Rasheed, Huma & Bleakley, Amy & Langbaum, Jessica B., 2022. "The politics of mask-wearing: Political preferences, reactance, and conflict aversion during COVID," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:298:y:2022:i:c:s0277953622001423
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114836
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    1. Allcott, Hunt & Boxell, Levi & Conway, Jacob & Gentzkow, Matthew & Thaler, Michael & Yang, David, 2020. "Polarization and public health: Partisan differences in social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
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    1. Rains, Stephen A. & Colombo, Paulina M. & Quick, Brian L. & Kriss, Lauren A., 2022. "State mask mandates and psychological reactance theory: The role of political partisanship and COVID-19 risk in mask adoption and resistance," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    2. Mukherjee, Ashesh & Lee, Seung Yun & Gershoff, Andrew, 2025. "Consumer flexibility and the effectiveness of limited time offers: the role of psychological reactance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Adrienne Holz, 2024. "Ideological Consistency and News Sharing as Predictors of Masking Among College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(12), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Porismita Borah & Kyle Lorenzano & Anastasia Vishnevskaya & Erica Austin, 2022. "Conservative Media Use and COVID-19 Related Behavior: The Moderating Role of Media Literacy Variables," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, June.
    5. John T. Jost & Daniela Goya-Tocchetto & Aaron C. Kay, 2023. "The Psychology of Left-Right Political Polarization; and an Experimental Intervention for Curbing Partisan Animosity and Support for Antidemocratic Violence," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 708(1), pages 46-63, July.
    6. Heather M. Rackin & Christina M. Gibson-Davis & Courtney E. Williams & Dustin Hughes & Seunghwan Yoo, 2025. "Partisan Divergence in Fertility Change Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Florida," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 44(5), pages 1-38, October.

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