Polarization in the COVID-19 pandemic: The impact of vaccination status and conspiracy theories.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to a new social identity through vaccination status and yielded substantial polarization between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Across two studies conducted via online platform Prolific, we examined the polarization between vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the United States. Study 1 (N = 646) revealed that vaccinated people were more polarized toward unvaccinated people than vice versa across a range of polarization indicators. Conspiracy beliefs moderated these effects. Higher conspiracy beliefs predicted increased polarization among unvaccinated people; however, lower conspiracy beliefs predicted increased polarization among vaccinated people. Study 2 (N = 503) focused specifically on feelings of hate and revealed that vaccinated and unvaccinated

SUBMITTER: Willemsen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12448270 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature