Predictors of Masking Among College Students
Author Information
Author(s): Adrienne Holz
Primary Institution: Virginia Tech
Hypothesis
How do ideological consistency, news-sharing behaviors, self-esteem, and compassion influence mask-wearing attitudes and behaviors among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Conclusion
Ideological consistency is the largest predictor of masking behaviors, with more liberal students showing greater adherence to mask-wearing policies.
Supporting Evidence
- Participants with more liberal political ideologies reported greater adherence to masking policies.
- Sharing news to create awareness was positively correlated with masking behaviors.
- Sharing unverified news was negatively correlated with masking behaviors.
- Ideological consistency explained 33.8% of the variance in masking behaviors.
Takeaway
This study found that students who share news and have liberal beliefs are more likely to wear masks, while those who share unverified news are less likely to do so.
Methodology
An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted among college students to assess their ideological consistency, news-sharing behaviors, self-esteem, and compassion in relation to mask-wearing.
Potential Biases
Self-reported data may be subject to response bias and social desirability biases.
Limitations
The sample lacks racial and ethnic diversity and may not be generalizable to the entire population.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 18 to 45 years, with an average age of 20 years; 70% identified as White, 12.3% as Asian, and 5.8% as Black or African American.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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