The role of ideological attitudes in responses to COVID-19 threat and government restrictions in Australia

Edward J R Clarke; Anna Klas; Emily Dyos

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.110734

The role of ideological attitudes in responses to COVID-19 threat and government restrictions in Australia

Pers Individ Dif. 2021 Jun:175:110734. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110734. Epub 2021 Feb 6.

Authors

Edward J R Clarke¹, Anna Klas², Emily Dyos¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University, Australia.
² Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, Misinformation Lab, School of Psychology.

Abstract

Many government strategies to reduce the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) involved unprecedented restrictions on personal movement, disrupting social and economic norms. Although generally well-received in Australia, community frustration regarding these restrictions appeared to diverge across political lines. Therefore, we examined the unique effects of the ideological subfactors of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA; Aggression, Submission and Conventionalism) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO; Dominance and Anti-egalitarianism) in predicting perceived personal threat of COVID-19, and support for and reactance to government restrictions, in Australian residents across two separate samples (S1 N = 451, S2 N = 838). COVID-19 threat was positively predicted by Submission, and negatively by Conventionalism, and Anti-egalitarianism. Support for restrictions was also positively predicted by Submission, and negatively by Conventionalism, Dominance, and Anti-egalitarianism. Reactance to government restrictions was negatively predicted by Submission, and positively by Conventionalism, Dominance, and Anti-egalitarianism. These findings suggest that right-wing ideological subfactors contribute to the one's perception of COVID-19 threat and government restrictions differentially.

Keywords: Australia; COVID-19; Right-wing authoritarianism; Social distancing; Social dominance orientation.