Tell me what you are like and I will tell you what you believe in: Social representations of COVID-19 in the Americas, Europe and Asia
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Authors
Pizarro, Jose J.Cakal, Huseyin
Mendez, Lander
Costa, Silvia
Zumeta, Larraitz N.
Gracia-Leiva, Marcela
Basabe, Nekane
Navarro-Carrillo, Gines

Cazan, Ana-Maria
Keshavarzi, Saeed
Lopez-Lopez, Wilson

Yahiiaiev, Illia

Alzugaray-Ponce, Carolina
Villagran, Loreto
Moyano-Diaz, Emilio

Petrović, Nebojša

Mathias, Anderson
Techio, Elza M.
Wlodarczyk, Anna
Alfaro-Beracoechea, Laura
Ibarra, Manuel L.
Psaltis, Charis

Michael, Andreas
Mhaskar, Sumeet
Martinez-Zelaya, Gonzalo
Bilbao, Marian
Delfino, Gisela

Carvalho, Catarina L.

Pinto, Isabel R.
Mohsin, Falak Zehra
Espinosa, Agustin

Maria Cueto, Rosa
Cavalli, Stefano

Article (Published version)

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This study analyzes the range and content of Social Representations (SRs) about the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 geographical zones from 17 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia (N = 4430). Based on Social Representations Theory, as well as the psychosocial consequences of pandemics and crises, we evaluate the perceptions of severity and risks, the agreement with different SRs, and participants' Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA). Different sets of beliefs are discussed as SRs, together with their prevalence and association with contextual variables. Results show that severity and risk perceptions were associated with different SRs of the pandemic. Specifically, those focused on Emerging Externalizing zoonotic and ecological factors (the virus is due to Chinese unhygienic habits and the overexploitation of the planet), Polemic Conspiracies (the virus is a weapon), views of Elite and Mass Villains (the elites deceive us and profit with the pandemic)..., and Personal Responsibility (the neglectful deserves contagion) during the pandemic. Furthermore, most of the SRs are anchored in SDO and, more strongly, in RWA orientations. Additional meta-analyses and multi-level regressions show that the effects are replicated in most geographical areas and that risk perception was a consistent explanatory variable, even after controlling for demographics and `real risk' (i.e., actual numbers of contagion and death). Results suggest that, while coping with and making sense of the pandemic, authoritarian subjects agree with SR that feed a sense of social control and legitimize outgroup derogation, and support punishment of ingroup low-status deviants.
Keywords:
Socio / Social Representations / Risk Perception / political orientations / COVID-19 / Conspiracy BeliefsSource:
Papers on Social Representations, 2020, 29, 2, 2.1-2.38Publisher:
- ISCTE
Funding / projects:
- Spanish and Basque Governments [PSI2017-84145-P, IT-1187-19]
- University of The Basque Country [DOCREC20/23]
- Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (CONICYT) [72180394]
- Vina del Mar University Research Fund [FIIUVM-EN-1904]
Institution/Community
Psihologija / PsychologyTY - JOUR AU - Pizarro, Jose J. AU - Cakal, Huseyin AU - Mendez, Lander AU - Costa, Silvia AU - Zumeta, Larraitz N. AU - Gracia-Leiva, Marcela AU - Basabe, Nekane AU - Navarro-Carrillo, Gines AU - Cazan, Ana-Maria AU - Keshavarzi, Saeed AU - Lopez-Lopez, Wilson AU - Yahiiaiev, Illia AU - Alzugaray-Ponce, Carolina AU - Villagran, Loreto AU - Moyano-Diaz, Emilio AU - Petrović, Nebojša AU - Mathias, Anderson AU - Techio, Elza M. AU - Wlodarczyk, Anna AU - Alfaro-Beracoechea, Laura AU - Ibarra, Manuel L. AU - Psaltis, Charis AU - Michael, Andreas AU - Mhaskar, Sumeet AU - Martinez-Zelaya, Gonzalo AU - Bilbao, Marian AU - Delfino, Gisela AU - Carvalho, Catarina L. AU - Pinto, Isabel R. AU - Mohsin, Falak Zehra AU - Espinosa, Agustin AU - Maria Cueto, Rosa AU - Cavalli, Stefano PY - 2020 UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3089 AB - This study analyzes the range and content of Social Representations (SRs) about the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 geographical zones from 17 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia (N = 4430). Based on Social Representations Theory, as well as the psychosocial consequences of pandemics and crises, we evaluate the perceptions of severity and risks, the agreement with different SRs, and participants' Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA). Different sets of beliefs are discussed as SRs, together with their prevalence and association with contextual variables. Results show that severity and risk perceptions were associated with different SRs of the pandemic. Specifically, those focused on Emerging Externalizing zoonotic and ecological factors (the virus is due to Chinese unhygienic habits and the overexploitation of the planet), Polemic Conspiracies (the virus is a weapon), views of Elite and Mass Villains (the elites deceive us and profit with the pandemic), and Personal Responsibility (the neglectful deserves contagion) during the pandemic. Furthermore, most of the SRs are anchored in SDO and, more strongly, in RWA orientations. Additional meta-analyses and multi-level regressions show that the effects are replicated in most geographical areas and that risk perception was a consistent explanatory variable, even after controlling for demographics and `real risk' (i.e., actual numbers of contagion and death). Results suggest that, while coping with and making sense of the pandemic, authoritarian subjects agree with SR that feed a sense of social control and legitimize outgroup derogation, and support punishment of ingroup low-status deviants. PB - ISCTE T2 - Papers on Social Representations T1 - Tell me what you are like and I will tell you what you believe in: Social representations of COVID-19 in the Americas, Europe and Asia EP - 2.38 IS - 2 SP - 2.1 VL - 29 UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_3089 ER -
@article{ author = "Pizarro, Jose J. and Cakal, Huseyin and Mendez, Lander and Costa, Silvia and Zumeta, Larraitz N. and Gracia-Leiva, Marcela and Basabe, Nekane and Navarro-Carrillo, Gines and Cazan, Ana-Maria and Keshavarzi, Saeed and Lopez-Lopez, Wilson and Yahiiaiev, Illia and Alzugaray-Ponce, Carolina and Villagran, Loreto and Moyano-Diaz, Emilio and Petrović, Nebojša and Mathias, Anderson and Techio, Elza M. and Wlodarczyk, Anna and Alfaro-Beracoechea, Laura and Ibarra, Manuel L. and Psaltis, Charis and Michael, Andreas and Mhaskar, Sumeet and Martinez-Zelaya, Gonzalo and Bilbao, Marian and Delfino, Gisela and Carvalho, Catarina L. and Pinto, Isabel R. and Mohsin, Falak Zehra and Espinosa, Agustin and Maria Cueto, Rosa and Cavalli, Stefano", year = "2020", abstract = "This study analyzes the range and content of Social Representations (SRs) about the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 geographical zones from 17 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia (N = 4430). Based on Social Representations Theory, as well as the psychosocial consequences of pandemics and crises, we evaluate the perceptions of severity and risks, the agreement with different SRs, and participants' Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA). Different sets of beliefs are discussed as SRs, together with their prevalence and association with contextual variables. Results show that severity and risk perceptions were associated with different SRs of the pandemic. Specifically, those focused on Emerging Externalizing zoonotic and ecological factors (the virus is due to Chinese unhygienic habits and the overexploitation of the planet), Polemic Conspiracies (the virus is a weapon), views of Elite and Mass Villains (the elites deceive us and profit with the pandemic), and Personal Responsibility (the neglectful deserves contagion) during the pandemic. Furthermore, most of the SRs are anchored in SDO and, more strongly, in RWA orientations. Additional meta-analyses and multi-level regressions show that the effects are replicated in most geographical areas and that risk perception was a consistent explanatory variable, even after controlling for demographics and `real risk' (i.e., actual numbers of contagion and death). Results suggest that, while coping with and making sense of the pandemic, authoritarian subjects agree with SR that feed a sense of social control and legitimize outgroup derogation, and support punishment of ingroup low-status deviants.", publisher = "ISCTE", journal = "Papers on Social Representations", title = "Tell me what you are like and I will tell you what you believe in: Social representations of COVID-19 in the Americas, Europe and Asia", pages = "2.38-2.1", number = "2", volume = "29", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_3089" }
Pizarro, J. J., Cakal, H., Mendez, L., Costa, S., Zumeta, L. N., Gracia-Leiva, M., Basabe, N., Navarro-Carrillo, G., Cazan, A., Keshavarzi, S., Lopez-Lopez, W., Yahiiaiev, I., Alzugaray-Ponce, C., Villagran, L., Moyano-Diaz, E., Petrović, N., Mathias, A., Techio, E. M., Wlodarczyk, A., Alfaro-Beracoechea, L., Ibarra, M. L., Psaltis, C., Michael, A., Mhaskar, S., Martinez-Zelaya, G., Bilbao, M., Delfino, G., Carvalho, C. L., Pinto, I. R., Mohsin, F. Z., Espinosa, A., Maria Cueto, R.,& Cavalli, S.. (2020). Tell me what you are like and I will tell you what you believe in: Social representations of COVID-19 in the Americas, Europe and Asia. in Papers on Social Representations ISCTE., 29(2), 2.1-2.38. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_3089
Pizarro JJ, Cakal H, Mendez L, Costa S, Zumeta LN, Gracia-Leiva M, Basabe N, Navarro-Carrillo G, Cazan A, Keshavarzi S, Lopez-Lopez W, Yahiiaiev I, Alzugaray-Ponce C, Villagran L, Moyano-Diaz E, Petrović N, Mathias A, Techio EM, Wlodarczyk A, Alfaro-Beracoechea L, Ibarra ML, Psaltis C, Michael A, Mhaskar S, Martinez-Zelaya G, Bilbao M, Delfino G, Carvalho CL, Pinto IR, Mohsin FZ, Espinosa A, Maria Cueto R, Cavalli S. Tell me what you are like and I will tell you what you believe in: Social representations of COVID-19 in the Americas, Europe and Asia. in Papers on Social Representations. 2020;29(2):2.1-2.38. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_3089 .
Pizarro, Jose J., Cakal, Huseyin, Mendez, Lander, Costa, Silvia, Zumeta, Larraitz N., Gracia-Leiva, Marcela, Basabe, Nekane, Navarro-Carrillo, Gines, Cazan, Ana-Maria, Keshavarzi, Saeed, Lopez-Lopez, Wilson, Yahiiaiev, Illia, Alzugaray-Ponce, Carolina, Villagran, Loreto, Moyano-Diaz, Emilio, Petrović, Nebojša, Mathias, Anderson, Techio, Elza M., Wlodarczyk, Anna, Alfaro-Beracoechea, Laura, Ibarra, Manuel L., Psaltis, Charis, Michael, Andreas, Mhaskar, Sumeet, Martinez-Zelaya, Gonzalo, Bilbao, Marian, Delfino, Gisela, Carvalho, Catarina L., Pinto, Isabel R., Mohsin, Falak Zehra, Espinosa, Agustin, Maria Cueto, Rosa, Cavalli, Stefano, "Tell me what you are like and I will tell you what you believe in: Social representations of COVID-19 in the Americas, Europe and Asia" in Papers on Social Representations, 29, no. 2 (2020):2.1-2.38, https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_3089 .