PlumX Metrics
SSRN
Embed PlumX Metrics

The Effects of Information on Policy and Consumer Behavior Beliefs During a Pandemic

SSRN Electronic Journal
2021
  • 1
    Citations
  • 1,449
    Usage
  • 5
    Captures
  • 1
    Mentions
  • 3
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

  • Citations
    1
    • Citation Indexes
      1
  • Usage
    1,449
    • Abstract Views
      1,314
    • Downloads
      135
  • Captures
    5
  • Mentions
    1
    • Blog Mentions
      1
      • Blog
        1
  • Social Media
    3
    • Shares, Likes & Comments
      3
      • Facebook
        3
  • Ratings
    • Download Rank
      430,536

Article Description

We investigate the role of information exposure in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether baseline political affiliation and news diet mediate effects. To do so, we randomly assigned 5,009 U.S. adults to nine brief text-based segments related to the dynamics of the pandemic and the safety of various behaviors. We then estimate how the provision of information affects 15 binary outcomes related to COVID-19 policy preferences, expected consumer behavior, and beliefs about safety. Relative to a reference group, mean effects reach significance (95\% CI) in 47 out of 120 baseline models. The mean point estimate for significant effects is 7.4 ppt. The baseline effects are large for all outcomes except beliefs. By contrast, interaction effects by political party and media diet are significant for beliefs but rarely significant for policy and behavioral attitudes. These findings suggest partisan policy and behavioral gaps are driven, at least in part, by exposure to different and often low-quality information, and that equalizing information sources would lead to partisan convergence in beliefs about the safety of COVID.

Bibliographic Details

Jonathan T. Rothwell; Christos Makridis; Christina Ramirez; Sonal Desai

Elsevier BV

Beliefs; Behavioral Economics; Consumption; COVID-19; Expectations; Information

Provide Feedback

Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know