Abstract
In this study I will be looking at how cultural differences, specifically tightness-looseness, can shape outcomes during times of crisis in the United States. Tighter societies tend to have stricter punishment for deviance from social norms. In Study 1, I hypothesize that states that are tighter will have lower rates of COVID-19 infection. In Study 2, I hypothesize that if people individually perceive that they live in a tighter community they will have more negative health outcomes, greater prevalence of negative affect, isolation, stress, depression and worry. Through the use of archival data, on infection rate of COVID-19 per state and a Tightness-Looseness Scale, in Study 1, I found that tighter states have increased infection rates. Although this pattern differed from my prediction that tightness would be associated with lower infection rates, perhaps this reflects the fact that the tightness-looseness scale that was using did not account for cultural shifts during the pandemic. Using data collected from participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found no evidence for an association between individual perceptions of tightness and mental health outcomes in Study 2. I did find, however, that there was an association between age and mental health outcome. Younger adults tended to have more negative mental health outcomes than older adults. What I found in this study can be applied to the real world in order shape policy to aid the people in the United States during an event like the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy makers can look at tightness-looseness in order to instill policies into community that will help aid the decrease in infection rates. In addition to that, based on the findings from this study more mental health support in time of crisis needs to be given to younger adults.