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Ohayon S, Goldzweig G, Vilchinsky N, Hasson-Ohayon I. The Associations Among Observers' Openness to Experience and Agreeableness With Social Distance: The Moderating Role of Disability Type. J Nerv Ment Dis 2024; 212:325-331. [PMID: 38810095 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Despite abundant literature on personality and stigma, the role of disability type in this relationship has remained unaddressed. In the current study, we examined whether the relationship between observers' openness to experience and agreeableness on the one hand, and social distance on the other, was moderated by the target person's type of disability (psychiatric vs. physical). One hundred thirty-nine participants were randomly assigned to complete a social distance questionnaire referring to a vignette of a person in three conditions (physical disability, psychiatric disability, and control). A main effect of openness on social distance was found. Additionally, we found an interaction effect of agreeableness and the type of disability. Namely, the relationship between agreeableness and social distance was significant only in the physical disability condition but not in the other two conditions. To conclude, the current study emphasizes the role of personality traits in social distance toward individuals with disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shay Ohayon
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Gil Goldzweig
- Department of Behavioral Science, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Noa Vilchinsky
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Kimbler KJ, Gromer C, Ayala M, Casey B. Correlates of COVID-19 Preventative Behaviors before and after Vaccination Availability. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:501. [PMID: 37366753 DOI: 10.3390/bs13060501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, various preventative behaviors and eventually vaccinations became available to decrease the spread of the virus. The current study examined a variety of variables (i.e., age, COVID-19-related economic hardship, interpersonal concern, personality, fear of COVID-19, normative beliefs, political beliefs, and vaccine hesitancy) to better understand predictors of preventative behaviors and vaccination status at different points throughout the pandemic. Online questionnaires, administered through Qualtrics, were used to collect data using two convenience samples. One was a small sample (N = 44) of non-student participants before the vaccine was readily available. The other sample (N = 274) included college student participants and occurred after the vaccine had been available to all participants. Results suggest that several variables (i.e., fear of COVID-19, normative beliefs, interpersonal concern, and openness) were consistent predictors of public health behaviors at both points in time and across differently aged samples. Other variables (i.e., agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and economic hardship) were less consistent with their relationships with public health behaviors. Implications related to both research and public health are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caleb Gromer
- Psychology Department, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA
| | - Melissa Ayala
- Psychology Department, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA
| | - Brianna Casey
- Psychology Department, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA
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T. Campbell J, Bennett-Brown M, S. Marcotte A, M. Kaufman E, Moscovici Z, R. Adams O, Lovins S, R. Garcia J, N. Gesselman A. American Singles' Attitudes Toward Future Romantic/Sexual Partners' COVID-19 Vaccination Status: Evidence for both Vigilance and Indifference in a National Sample. SEXUALITY & CULTURE 2023; 27:1-24. [PMID: 37360016 PMCID: PMC10196300 DOI: 10.1007/s12119-023-10097-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Around 142 million American adults are currently single; at least half of these singles want to pursue a romantic partner. Romantic dating can involve exposure to numerous people. Thus, dating can significantly impact pathogen exposure risk. In a demographically-representative cross-sectional survey conducted in 2021 (N = 5,000), we examined U.S. American singles' COVID-19 vaccination status, assessed their preferences around a potential partner's COVID-19 vaccination status, and identified demographic subgroups of singles particularly opposed to or indifferent to a partner being vaccinated against COVID-19. Our results showed 65% of participants were fully vaccinated, 10% were partially vaccinated, and 26% were unvaccinated against COVID-19. With regards to partner preferences, half wanted a vaccinated partner; 18.9% wanted a vaccinated partner but would make exceptions; 6.1% wanted an unvaccinated partner; and 25% reported that they did not care about their dating partner's vaccination status. Partner preferences were largely aligned with participants' own vaccination status, such that vaccinated participants preferred vaccinated partners. However, those preferring unvaccinated partners-or those willing to make exceptions for a partner-were most likely to identify as men, younger in age, a political affiliation outside of the two-party political system, a gender or sexual minority, or as a racial minority (i.e., Black/African-American or South Asian). Additionally, participants who were employed (vs. unemployed) were more likely to make exceptions for or prefer an unvaccinated partner. These results suggest that singles prefer homophily in COVID-19 vaccine status, and that minoritized subgroups of singles are more likely to maintain a social network including unvaccinated close others. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12119-023-10097-9.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Magaret Bennett-Brown
- Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, USA
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas USA
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Poirotte C, Charpentier MJE. Mother-to-daughter transmission of hygienic anti-parasite behaviour in mandrills. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222349. [PMID: 36750188 PMCID: PMC9904943 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Social animals are particularly exposed to infectious diseases. Pathogen-driven selection pressures have thus favoured the evolution of behavioural adaptations to decrease transmission risk such as the avoidance of contagious individuals. Yet, such strategies deprive individuals of valuable social interactions, generating a cost-benefit trade-off between pathogen avoidance and social opportunities. Recent studies revealed that hosts differ in these behavioural defences, but the determinants driving such inter-individual variation remain understudied. Using 6 years of behavioural and parasite data on a large natural population of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), we showed that, when parasite prevalence was high in the population, females avoided grooming their conspecifics' peri-anal region (PAR), where contagious gastro-intestinal parasites accumulate. Females varied, however, in their propensity to avoid this risky body region: across years, some females consistently avoided grooming it, while others did not. Interestingly, hygienic females (i.e. those avoiding the PAR) were less parasitized than non-hygienic females. Finally, age, dominance rank and grooming frequency did not influence a female's hygiene, but both mother-daughter and maternal half-sisters exhibited similar hygienic levels, whereas paternal half-sisters and non-kin dyads did not, suggesting a social transmission of this behaviour. Our study emphasizes that the social inheritance of hygiene may structure behavioural resistance to pathogens in host populations with potential consequences on the dynamics of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Poirotte
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marie J. E. Charpentier
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), UMR5554 - University of Montpellier/CNRS/IRD/EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5, Konstanz 78467, Germany
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Harp NR, Neta M. Tendency to Share Positive Emotions Buffers Loneliness-Related Negativity in the Context of Shared Adversity. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2023; 102:104333. [PMID: 36875321 PMCID: PMC9979956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Loneliness is associated with adverse outcomes, and the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to increase loneliness. How loneliness-related outcomes unfold, though, varies across individuals. Individuals' sense of social connectedness and engagement with others to regulate emotional experiences (interpersonal emotion regulation; IER) may modulate loneliness-related outcomes. Individuals failing to maintain social connectedness and/or regulate emotions may be at heightened risk. We assessed how loneliness, social connectedness, and IER related to valence bias, a tendency to categorize ambiguity as more positive or negative. Loneliness was associated with a more negative valence bias among individuals reporting above average social connectedness but who shared positive emotion less often (z=-3.19, p=.001). These findings suggest that sharing positive emotional experiences may buffer loneliness-related outcomes during shared adverse experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maital Neta
- Univeristy of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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Dow BJ, Wang CS, Whitson JA, Deng Y. Mitigating and managing COVID-19 conspiratorial beliefs. BMJ LEADER 2022; 6:259-262. [PMID: 36794613 DOI: 10.1136/leader-2022-000600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Belief in COVID-19 related conspiracy theories is a widespread and consequential problem that healthcare leaders need to confront. In this article, we draw on insights from social psychology and organisational behaviour to offer evidence-based advice that healthcare leaders can use to reduce the spread of conspiratorial beliefs and ameliorate their negative effects, both during the current pandemic and beyond. CONCLUSION Leaders can effectively combat conspiratorial beliefs by intervening early and bolstering people's sense of control. Leaders can also address some of the problematic behaviours that result from conspiratorial beliefs by introducing incentives and mandates (e.g., vaccine mandates). However, because of the limitations of incentives and mandates, we suggest that leaders complement these techniques with interventions that leverage the power of social norms and increase people's connections to others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Dow
- Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Cynthia S Wang
- Dispute Resolution Research Center, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Yingli Deng
- Durham University Business School, Durham, UK
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Card KG. Collectivism, individualism and COVID-19 prevention: a cross sectional study of personality, culture and behavior among Canadians. Health Psychol Behav Med 2022; 10:415-438. [PMID: 35528715 PMCID: PMC9067981 DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2022.2069571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Collectivism has been identified as a protective factor against COVID-19 – perhaps due to increased conformity with social norms regarding prevention behaviors. Other studies have also found that individualism can inspire uptake of preventative behaviors as a means of personal protection. It is possible that these cultural orientations may promote different patterns of prevention (e.g. mask wearing vs. social distancing). Furthermore, existing studies examining the role of individualism and collectivism during the COVID-19 pandemic have frequently failed to account for other psychological processes, including differences in personality, which could help provide a better understanding of the psychological process underlying prevention behavior. Methods Participants were recruited using social media advertisements. The Cultural Orientations Scale measured individualism–collectivism and hierarchism-egalitarianism. The Ten Item Personality Inventory measured the five factor model of personality. Multivariable models, dominance analyses and structural equation mediation tests were used to identify the most important predictors of COVID-19 prevention behavior (i.e. mask-wearing, hand-washing, reducing social interactions, physical distancing, staying at home and social bubbling), controlling for demographic and situational factors. Results Among 774 participants, most (i.e. 60–80%) reported uptake of COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Higher vertical (hierarchical) collectivism was associated with staying at home and higher horizontal (egalitarian) individualism was associated with mask-wearing and reducing social interactions. Neither Vertical Collectivism nor Horizontal Collectivism were significantly associated with any of the prevention behaviors when controlling for personality traits and confounding variables. Agreeableness was identified as a key mediator of the correlation between these cultural orientations on general uptake of COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Conclusions Cultural orientations (e.g. collectivism-individualism, hierarchism-egalitarianism) and personality traits (e.g. Agreeableness) are salient correlates of COVID-19 prevention behaviors and therefore should be accounted for in the development, design and delivery of health promotion messages aiming to increase uptake of these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiffer G. Card
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- The GenWell Project Society, Toronto, Ont., Canada
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Li H, Cao Y. Rules We Live by: How Religious Beliefs Relate to Compliance with Precautionary Measures Against COVID-19 in Tibetan Buddhists. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2022; 61:1671-1683. [PMID: 35122555 PMCID: PMC8817637 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-022-01512-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The present studies investigated how particular religious beliefs shape compliance with preventive measures in adherents of Gelug and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In Study 1, Gelug and Nyingma monks were asked to report their compliance with various infection prevention measures surrounding COVID-19. Results showed that the former group showed higher compliance with public health guidelines than the latter. Extending beyond self-report measures, Study 2 added a behavioral outcome measure and observed the same effect. Together, our results provide the first empirical evidence that various Tibetan Buddhist traditions are related to different degrees of compliance with precautionary measures against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Li
- College of International Studies, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Yu Cao
- School of Foreign Languages, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China
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Čavojová V, Adamus M, Ballová Mikušková E. You before me: How vertical collectivism and feelings of threat predicted more socially desirable behaviour during COVID-19 pandemic. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022:1-12. [PMID: 35340689 PMCID: PMC8934055 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the relationship between outward orientation and COVID-related prosocial behavior, including adherence to containment measures, caring for others and providing support, limiting one's social life and responsible purchasing behavior. A sample of 500 Slovaks (250 women) aged between 18 and 86 (M = 44.32, SD = 15.66) participated in the study and responded to questions concerning their sociodemographic and personality characteristics, collectivism and individualism, the consciousness of future consequences and emotional responses to the pandemic. The results show that apart from the perceived threat of COVID-19, vertical collectivism is among the strongest antecedents of COVID-related prosocial behavior. Specifically, feelings of threat, vertical collectivism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, liberalism, and education predicted more prosocial behavior during the pandemic. Consequently, the study indicates that while excessive fear may have adverse effects on individuals' well-being, appealing to and cultivating collectivistic sentiments could contribute not only to containing the pandemic but also to making others' lives more bearable while it lasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimíra Čavojová
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Magdalena Adamus
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Eva Ballová Mikušková
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences SAS, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Kittel B, Kalleitner F, Schiestl DW. Peers for the fearless: Social norms facilitate preventive behaviour when individuals perceive low COVID-19 health risks. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260171. [PMID: 34882685 PMCID: PMC8659684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A strategy frequently adopted to contain the COVID-19 pandemic involves three non-pharmaceutical interventions that depend on high levels of compliance in society: maintaining physical distance from others, minimizing social contacts, and wearing a face mask. These measures require substantial changes in established practices of social interaction, raising the question of which factors motivate individuals to comply with these preventive behaviours. Using Austrian panel survey data from April 2020 to April 2021, we show that perceived health risks, social norms, and trust in political institutions stimulate people to engage in preventive behaviour. A moderation analysis shows that the effectiveness of social norms in facilitating preventive behaviour increases when people's perceptions of health risks decrease. No such moderation effect is observed for trust in political institutions. These results suggest that strong social norms play a crucial role in achieving high rates of preventive behaviour, especially when perceived levels of health risks are low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Kittel
- Department of Economic Sociology, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Fabian Kalleitner
- Department of Economic Sociology, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - David W. Schiestl
- Department of Economic Sociology, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
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Brown M, Young SG, Sacco DF. Competing motives in a pandemic: Interplays between fundamental social motives and technology use in predicting (Non)Compliance with social distancing guidelines. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021; 123:106892. [PMID: 36569368 PMCID: PMC9758607 DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals were advised to adhere to social distancing guidelines limiting physical interpersonal contact. Humans have a suite of adaptations to satisfy belonging needs while avoiding diseased conspecifics. Competition between motivational systems may explain adherence and resistance to social distancing guidelines and how technologically mediated interactions further shape these decisions. This study is a preregistered analysis of data in a representative sample collected during the pandemic investigating how individual differences in affiliative and pathogen-avoidant motives predict interest in physical interactions (N = 2409). Germ aversion predicted disinterest in physical interactions and need to belong predicted interest. Additional analyses revealed technology use satisfied belonging motives that unexpectedly heightened interest in physical contact. Exploratory analyses further indicate that internet speed was similarly associated with greater interest in physical interactions. We frame these results through a competing fundamental social motives framework and discuss how to address future pandemics effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitch Brown
- University of Arkansas, USA,Corresponding author. Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
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Zmigrod L, Ebert T, Götz FM, Rentfrow PJ. The psychological and socio-political consequences of infectious diseases: Authoritarianism, governance, and nonzoonotic (human-to-human) infection transmission. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.5964/jspp.7297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
What are the socio-political consequences of infectious diseases? Humans have evolved to avoid disease and infection, resulting in a set of psychological mechanisms that promote disease-avoidance, referred to as the behavioral immune system (BIS). One manifestation of the BIS is the cautious avoidance of unfamiliar, foreign, or potentially contaminating stimuli. Specifically, when disease infection risk is salient or prevalent, authoritarian attitudes can emerge that seek to avoid and reject foreign outgroups while favoring homogenous, familiar ingroups. In the largest study conducted on the topic to date (N > 240,000), elevated regional levels of infectious pathogens were related to more authoritarian attitudes on three geographical levels: across U.S. metropolitan regions, U.S. states, and cross-culturally across 47 countries. The link between pathogen prevalence and authoritarian psychological dispositions predicted conservative voting behavior in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and more authoritarian governance and state laws, in which one group of people imposes asymmetrical laws on others in a hierarchical structure. Furthermore, cross-cultural analysis illustrated that the relationship between infectious diseases and authoritarianism was pronounced for infectious diseases that can be acquired from other humans (nonzoonotic), and does not generalize to other infectious diseases that can only be acquired from non-human species (zoonotic diseases). At a time of heightened awareness of infectious diseases, the current findings are important reminders that public health and ecology can have ramifications for socio-political attitudes by shaping how citizens vote and are governed.
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