COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism in the U.S. through the Lens of Scapegoat and Social Attribution Theory

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the use of China related names for COVID-19, a variety of COVID-19 information sources, and endorsement of conspiracy theory variables in the U.S. One hundred thirty-nine undergraduate students participated in an online survey in the U.S. Results indicated that the use of friends and families on social media and online, or former U.S. president Trump as a source of COVID-19 related information were the most important predictors of the level of endorsement of Chinese related conspiracy theory variables. Further, outgroup trust moderated the relationship between the use of Chinese related names for COVID-19 and endorsement of China related conspiracy theories.

Keywords:

• Anti-Asian racism
• conspiracy theory
• COVID-19
• outgroup trust
• scapegoat theory
• social attribution theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kikuko Omori

Kikuko Omori ([email protected]) is in the Communications Studies Department, at California State University – Sacramento, California.

Carmen Stitt

Carmen Stitt ([email protected]) is in the Communications Studies Department, at California State University – Sacramento, California.