Tung Han PuChang, Teng-JenTeng-JenChangLin Ming Jen2022-12-082022-12-082022-090277-9536https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/625911Can one's political ideology predict his or her testing positive for COVID-19 and how? The present study leveraged a recent (April-May 2020) survey of 27,260 individuals across 27 democracies to investigate the associations between political ideology and coronavirus infections. Our individual-level data and mediation analyses allow us to tease out different correlational paths according to which one's political ideology affects his or her infection. We found a more right-leaning attitude to be associated with a higher probability of testing positive both directly and indirectly through conspiracy theory beliefs and physical distancing. Moreover, our cross-national investigation also found that becoming more right-leaning in ideology was associated with a higher level of perceived risk of COVID-19 infection, which made one less likely to test positive. Combined, we provide a more nuanced understanding of the role played by political ideology in the current pandemic, on which the design of a more effective risk communication strategy can be based.enCOVID-19; Conpiratory thinking; Political ideology; Risk perception[SDGs]SDG3journal article10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115199358631532-s2.0-85134261175WOS:000831220400003https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85134261175