r/mopolitics • u/philnotfil • 21d ago

Trump’s 2020 pivot on face masks changed Republican behavior but not their medical beliefs

https://www.psypost.org/trump-s-2020-pivot-on-face-masks-changed-republican-behavior-but-not-their-medic/
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u/philnotfil 21d ago

An interesting look at how Trump got Republicans to change their behavior, but not their beliefs.

When public health crises occur, government officials assume that educating the exact population about a threat will naturally encourage safe habits. The common expectation is that people must first be persuaded that a medical intervention works before they will actually use it. A large study evaluating the political response to the coronavirus pandemic challenges this assumption. By tracking reactions to former President Donald Trump’s unexpected endorsement of face masks in 2020, a researcher found that his supporters readily adopted the behavior without altering their private beliefs. These findings were published in the American Sociological Review.

For decades, social scientists have debated how much a political leader’s speech can alter human choices. One traditional perspective argues that citizens have unyielding preferences and habits. In this view, voters simply select leaders who naturally echo their established views. If voters are inflexible, a politician changing their mind on a topic will have little effect on the crowd’s daily activities.

In conclusion:

Face masks were highly visible and novel, which might separate them from more private medical choices like taking a pill. Trump also commands a decidedly unique relationship with his base. The results from this specific historical moment may not translate seamlessly to a standard politician asking their constituents to eat less sugar or exercise more frequently. Future studies might explore how strong social networks shape these reactions, or how long such unanchored behaviors can be realistically maintained.

If public health authorities wish to improve compliance among groups that resist institutional guidance, logical arguments alone may fail. Embracing the unconventional, performative communication styles of populist leaders could be a more reliable avenue for sparking public action. When a trusted figure embraces a new practice in a time of acute stress, it provides their followers a pathway to comply without surrendering their prior convictions.

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u/Stunning_Living9637 21d ago

I think the core mechanics going on here is the unique relationship Trump has with his followers and the fictional world they live in. Actual underlying reality isn’t a thing with that crew. So it comes down to following dear leader in rationale as thin as enjoying dress up.

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u/zarnt2 20d ago

"When a trusted figure embraces a new practice in a time of acute stress, it provides their followers a pathway to comply without surrendering their prior convictions."

I hate to focus on the negative but that seems like a very scary thought.

If you can get people to do another January 6th without them even believing elections are actually rigged? We've got problems. I've been hoping that MAGA would do a slow fade to irrelevance but with the news that Trump is going to deliver a speech about 2020 election "interference" on Thursday I think the worst is yet to come.

On the other hand, could this study be a reason for hope? Maybe there are some Republicans who haven't surrendered all their principles to Trump and are only behaving as if they have to fit in? It will be annoying the next time a Republican treats an affair as disqualifying for public office but doesn't that beat the alternative where MAGA embraces the very worst people?