State mask mandates and psychological reactance theory: The role of political partisanship and COVID-19 risk in mask adoption and resistance

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115479Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Mask use increased following the imposition of state mandates.

  • Mask mandate imposition yielded less mask wearing in Republican states.

  • Mask use decreased following the removal of state mandates.

  • Responses to mandate removal were tempered when infection rates were high.

Abstract

Rationale

Psychological reactance theory was applied to examine the implications of state-level mask mandates in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the role of political partisanship and COVID-19 risk on changes in self-reported mask wearing before and after the imposition and removal of state mask mandates.

Method

Secondary data from several sources were aggregated about self-reported mask wearing behavior, state mandates, COVID-19 infection rates, and state-level political partisanship. Difference-in-differences tests were performed using logistic regression to evaluate whether change in mask wearing behavior following the imposition or removal of a mandate was greater in states based on state-level political partisanship and COVID-19 infection rates.

Results

Although mask adoption generally increased following mandates, the amount of increase was smaller in more Republican states compared to more Democratic states. Mask wearing generally decreased following the removal of mandates, with greater decreases when COVID-19 infection rates were lower.

Conclusion

The results collectively offer insights about the nuanced role of contextual factors in the adoption and resistance to masks following state mask mandates. Partisanship was important in responses to the imposition of state mask mandates and COVID-19 risk played a critical role in responses to mandate removal.

Keywords

Psychological reactance
COVID-19
Governmental mask mandates
Mask adoption
Mask resistance
Political partisanship
Public health

Data availability

A link to the data and script for analyses has been supplied in the article.

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