Empathy, Fear of Disease and Support for COVID-19 Containment Behaviors: Evidence from 34 Countries on the Moderating Role of Governmental Trust (preprint)

The current study investigated the motives that underlie support for COVID-19 preventive behaviorsin a large, cross-cultural sample of 12,758 individuals from 34 countries. We hypothesized that the associations of empathic prosocial concern and fear of disease, with support towards preventive COVID-19 behaviors would be moderated by the individual-level and country-level trust in the government. Results suggest that the association between fear of disease and support for COVID-19 preventive behaviors was strongest when trust in the government was weak (both at individual and country-level). Conversely, the association with empathic prosocial concern was strongest when trust was high, but this moderation was only found at individual-level scores of governmental trust. We discuss how both fear and empathy motivations to support preventive COVID-19 behaviors may be shaped by socio-cultural context, and outline how the present findings may contribute to a better understanding of collective action during global crises.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Young Adults in Canada (preprint)

Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy is a multifaceted decision process that encompasses various factors for which an individual may choose to get vaccinated or not. We aimed to identify the relationship between COVID-19 conspiracy theories, general attitudes towards vaccines, current COVID-19 vaccine factors and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Methods: The present research is a multi-province cross-sectional study design. Survey data was collected in May and June 2021 (n=4905) in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. Multivariate ordinal regression models were used to assess the association between vaccine hesitant profiles and COVID-19 conspiracy theories, general attitudes towards vaccines, and specific factors pertaining to COVID-19 vaccines. Results: Participants were aged 18 to 40 years and 59% were women. Individuals with low income, low educational attainment, and/or who are unemployed were more likely to be vaccine hesitant. COVID-19 conspiracy theory beliefs and general attitudes towards vaccines are significantly associated with greater hesitancy for the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine factors including pro-vaccine actions and opinions of friends and family and trust in scientists and government are associated with less vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion: Conspiracy theories are distinct from criticism and concerns regarding the vaccine. Nevertheless, poverty, low level of education and distrust are associated with higher odds of being vaccine hesitant . Results suggest it is imperative to deliver transparent and nuanced health communications to address legitimate distrust towards political and scientific actors and address the societal gap regarding general attitudes towards vaccines as opposed to focusing solely on COVID-19.

Associations between Endorsement of Conspiracy Theories and Sympathy for Violent Radicalization in Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderation by Psychological Distress (preprint)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread uncertainty, promoted psychological distress and fuelled conflict. The concomitant upsurge in endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is worrisome because they are associated with both non-adherence to public health guidelines and intention to commit violence. This study investigates associations between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for violent radicalization (VR) and psychological distress among young adults in Canada. We hypothesized that a) endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is positively associated with support for VR, and b) psychological distress modifies the relationship between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and support for VR.Methods: A total of 6003 participants aged 18-35 years old in four Canadian cities completed an online survey that included questions about endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for VR, psychological distress, and socio-economic status.Outcomes: Support for VR was associated with endorsement of conspiracy theories in multivariate regression (β=0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-0.96). The magnitude of the association was stronger in individuals reporting high psychological distress (β=1.36, 95% CI 1.26-1.46) compared to those reporting low psychological distress (β=0.47, 95% CI 0.35-0.59).Interpretation: The association between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and VR represents a public health challenge requiring immediate attention. The interaction with psychological distress suggests that policy efforts should combine communication and psychological strategies to mitigate the legitimation of violence.Funding: Fonds Québécois de Recherche en Santé et Culture grant #2017-SE-196373 and Équipe de Recherche et Action sur les Polarisations Sociales grant #180645.Declaration of Interests: None to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board ofthe Faculty of Medicine at McGill University before initiating the study, and all participants provided an electronic informed consent.