Gail Goodman awarded NSF RAPID Grant to study trust and legal socialization during the COVID-19 pandemic

Professor Goodman received a National Science Foundation (NSF) RAPID grant to study trust in governmental authorities and adherence to COVID-19 directives among low-income adults with childhood maltreatment histories. The project will study how various factors influence political trust and how that relates to observance of governmental instructions during the pandemic, particularly among adults with a history of child maltreatment.

Engaging in theories of legal attitudes, behavior, and socialization, this project will study political trust in adults who as children were removed from home in child protection actions. This longitudinal study will employ survey techniques to ascertain how this adult population adheres to government-issued COVID-19 directives. The project also will examine how these adults socialize their children with respect to following government mandates meant to control the virus. This project will provide the public with insight on both practical and theoretical levels, as it will be important for characterizing political trust and legal socialization that may affect the spread of disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.