“You want to be politically correct”: Opposition to political correctness predicts less adherence to COVID-19 guidelines in the US

Previous research has demonstrated that conservative individuals (relative to liberal individuals) were less likely to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines (e.g., social distancing). We argue that because adherence to COVID-19 guidelines was largely characterized as “politically correct” behavior, individuals opposed to political correctness (PC) norms would follow COVID-19 guidelines less, controlling for political conservatism and other relevant demographic variables. In two correlational studies and one preregistered experiment, we tested whether opposition to political correctness (OPC) predicts less adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. Study 1 showed that OPC correlates negatively with mask-wearing and social distancing, controlling for conservatism, gender, age, and religious identity. Study 2 replicated and extended these effects, demonstrating that seeing mask-wearing as a common good (i.e., as a beneficial COVID-19 mitigation strategy) mediated the relationship between OPC and mask-wearing, social distancing, handwashing, and vaccination intentions. Study 3 experimentally manipulated feelings toward PC. Inconsistent with our preregistered hypothesis but consistent with previous research, participants induced to have positive feelings toward PC adhered to COVID-19 guidelines the most and had the most positive feelings toward wearing masks. We discuss how moralization of health guidelines can predict individuals' likelihood of adhering to these guidelines. We also discuss how best to persuade individuals who see adherence to health guidelines as “politically correct,” as well as future research directions to address this concern.