Factors Related to Compliance with CDC COVID-19 Guidelines: Media Use, Partisan Identity, Science Knowledge, and Risk Assessment

Abstract

The present study surveyed 970 Americans during the first two weeks of May 2020 to explore the science communication environment and the factors related to COVID-19 risk assessment and compliance with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 mitigation strategies. We asked respondents about the media sources used to seek information about the COVID-19 pandemic, their political identity, and general level of scientific intelligence as well as their COVID-19 specific intelligence. Controlling for demographic factors and ordinary science knowledge, we demonstrated that ordinary science COVID-19 intelligence, risk assessment, and mainstream media use were positively related to compliance with CDC guidelines for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Democrats’ risk perception remained at a significantly higher level than Republicans, regardless of whether they tuned in to liberal sources, conservative sources, or conservative radio/podcast shows. All media sources used for seeking COVID-19 information significantly boosted Republican-leaners’ risk perception level but that level of risk assessment never reached that of the Democrats in the sample. Independent voters decreased their compliance when using liberal media and increased their compliance when using conservative media, rejecting the more extreme positions of these media. Even occasionally listening to conservative radio/podcasts significantly decreased Democratic compliance with the public health guidelines. From the beginning of the pandemic, a polluted science communication environment was exacerbated by polarized media discussions of COVID-19, making it difficult for the public to recognize valid science, assess risk, and follow scientifically based disease mitigation strategies.