Messaging and the Political Symbolism of the Face Mask.

• Author: Wessel, Lara A.

Opinion is one of the most basic forms of the expression of political ideology. Opinions can be expressed verbally or through actions. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, a particularly perplexing issue in the United States involved the development of polarized opinions toward the act of wearing a mask. In the spring of 2020, public health officials in the United States issued new guidance about the use of facial coverings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 (in February of 2020, the CDC advised against using masks. Then, on April 3, the CDC issued new recommendation to wear a facial covering due to findings indicating asymptomatic individuals could be carriers of COVID-19.)

Despite the updated, science-based recommendations, public response quickly became divided. The use of masks became an unlikely symbolic expression of political ideology. Why did use of the mask--a public health recommendation--become an expression of political ideology in the U.S.?

This analysis examines messaging about the use of masks to better understand their development as a political symbol, and the influence of messaging on public attitudes. Specifically, this analysis examines the role of messaging from President Donald Trump in influencing public response to recommendations related to masks during the spring and summer of 2020. The analysis finds the president's messaging about masks reinforced preexisting ideological division in the U.S. In addition, this analysis asserts an understanding of political ideology is important in predicting responses to public health recommendations.

Partisan divisions are often a function ideological division. Thus, a fuller understanding of political ideology is useful in understanding partisan division, and in explaining the role of messaging in influencing attitudes and opinions. Political ideology provides a framework for understanding public opinion. A wide body of research across multiple disciplines has analyzed the concept of ideology and defined it as a broad concept. For example, scholars note ideology has varying definitions, and can incorporate a variety of meanings. (1) Ideology, as a general term, refers to the sum of values and attitudes. Political ideology refers to the sum of values and attitudes related to politics and government. It is described as a deep psychological attachment because it is rooted in values. (2) Values are deeply held beliefs that have a significant influence on political predispositions. (3) General values inform specific attitudes, and opinions are the expression of these attitudes. The general values that contribute to political ideology inform attitudes about specific government actions and policies. In the current context, this implies individuals' general values about government will inform their specific attitudes toward government response to COVID-19. Thus, understanding values and attitudes is important to understanding political ideology, and its role in explaining public response to government initiatives.

Scholarship has long recognized the significance of socialization in explaining the development of values and political ideology. (4) Ideological views about the role of government develop across time. The values that contribute to attitudes about the proper role of government are largely the result of learning. (5) Researchers posit socialization is a lifelong process. (6) Political socialization refers to the long process of "largely informal learning that almost everyone experiences throughout life as a consequence of interactions with parents, family, friends, neighbors, peers, colleagues, and so forth." (7)

Agents of socialization are the people, processes, and institutions that influence each individual, and contribute to the evolution of values. Research has shown agents of socialization have a demonstrated influence on the development of political ideology. (8) Since agents of socialization influence attitudes, it follows agents of socialization influence attitudes about COVID-19. President Trump represents an agent of socialization whose messages reinforced preexisting attitudes. The news media, and how media portrayed the president's messaging, also represents a relevant agent of socialization. Studies have long found news media can have a strong influence on political attitudes. (9) Attitudes are influenced by a variety of factors, including salience. How does issue salience influence attitudes? Salience refers to personal importance. (10) Individuals are more likely to have a strong view about a policy if the policy affects their lives personally. (11) COVID-19 is a highly transmissible virus that contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths in 2020. The virus also led to one of the largest disruptions of the economy in U.S. history. Thus, COVID-19 is arguably the most salient public health and economic issue in a century. Since the virus and its consequences are highly salient, the public should be expected to have strong attitudes toward relevant government initiatives and other related messaging about COVID-19.

Attitudes have both a cognitive and affective component. In other words, attitudes are influenced by both information and emotion. The cognitive component develops from consuming information. It is important to note the information that has a cognitive impact on attitudes can be inaccurate, and information can influence the cognitive component of attitudes whether the information is accurate or inaccurate. The affective component of attitude refers to the emotional component--feelings about a particular issue. The emotional component can be especially influential on attitudes in the context of salient issues. When an individual views a policy as salient, emotional appeals to influence a person's attitude can be quite powerful. (12) Opinions are the expression of attitudes. Public response to recommendations about COVID-19 varied in 2020. Attitudes toward the recommendation to wear a mask, which is described as a political symbol, are of particular interest to the current analysis. Absent politics, a mask might be best understood as one of a series of interventions and mitigation strategies put forth by public health experts. The mask became a political symbol in the U.S. when the public began to perceive its use as connected to political ideology.

Symbols are useful to understanding political ideology for a variety of reasons. "They represent, in simplified form, complex ideas, reducing them to simple images which convey the complexity they represent." (13) Political symbols are as old and diverse as politics. (14) They can be described as an object, person, word, performance, or gesture that represents a political institution, hierarchy, movement, belief, or ideology. (15) Symbols can represent both unity and political division. They can express ideologies of intolerance and even hatred. Symbols can also be active, in that actions can serve as symbols. For example, symbolic action can be viewed as an act of legitimate civil disobedience.

Previous studies have found symbols can be understood in terms of both meaning and manipulation. It is important to emphasize both concepts in order to fully understand the power of symbols in the context of political ideology. (16) Symbols can be manipulated to suit a particular point of view, and they can have more than one meaning. Symbols are better defined as multivocal, meaning they can have different meanings for different groups, particularly when it comes to controversial symbols. (17)

Face masks represent a political symbol that may be viewed differently be different groups of people. For some, the decision to not wear a mask might be viewed as an act of civil disobedience. For others, the decision to not wear a mask might be interpreted as part of a culture of individualism, or even narcissism. John Lasch, in his seminal 1979 book, The Culture of Narcissism notes, "To live for the moment is the prevailing passion--to live for yourself, not for your predecessors or posterity." (18) In 2020, wearing a mask was first described as an action a person could take primarily to protect the community rather than one's self. (19) Since this public health messaging specifically called on Americans to take actions to protect others, wearing a mask became a symbol attached to the concept of individualism versus empathy. Gill and Angosto-Ferrandez posit when political symbols have multiple meanings, the group that does a better job at controlling the message about the symbol is more likely to have the political advantage. (20) The messages of President Trump are important in understanding the multivocal nature of the symbol of the face mask because the president participated in assigning the meaning of the symbol.

The following section examines the president's messaging about masks between April 3 and July 20. (21) During this period, President Trump presented both verbal messages and other signals to the public about masks. First, an analysis of the president's messaging at the White House Corona Virus Task Force daily briefings is presented. Next, the period between April 3 and July 20 is examined to identify the president's messaging about masks outside the Task Force briefings. Finally, public opinion about the use of masks is analyzed to better understand the relationship between the president's messaging and public attitudes about the use of masks.

The White House Task Force Daily Briefings

The first case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was confirmed January 21, 2020. (22) President Trump announced the establishment of the White House Coronavirus Task Force January 29. Twelve individuals were initially appointed to the Task Force. (23) The Task Force was first led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. While there was no public mission statement attributed to the Task Force, the White House Press Secretary office issued a statement January 29, stating President...