Eric Merkley|Peter Loewen
Anti-intellectualism and the mass public’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
University of Toronto|University of Toronto
antiintellectualism generalized distrust experts intellectuals important concept explaining publics engagement advice scientists experts ask whether shaped mass publics response coronavirus disease 2019 covid19 provide evidence consistent connection antiintellectualism covid19 risk perceptions social distancing mask usage misperceptions information acquisition using representative survey 27615 canadians conducted march july 2020 exploit panel component design n 4910 strongly link antiintellectualism withinrespondent change mask usage finally provide experimental evidence antiintellectualisms importance information search behaviour two conjoint studies n 2500 show preferences covid19 news covid19 information experts dissipate among respondents higher levels antiintellectual sentiment antiintellectualism poses fundamental challenge maintaining increasing public compliance expertguided covid19 health directives merkley loewen find antiintellectualism distrust experts intellectuals linked covid19 misperceptions compliance public health directives information search using survey experimental data canada