SMU Assistant Professor of Psychology Kimin Eom is a contributor to a new study titled “Politicians polarise and experts depolarise public support for COVID-19 management policies across countries”, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found that people put party over policy in dealing with pandemic. The research team conducted surveys of 13,000 people across seven countries – Brazil, Israel, Italy, Sweden, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the USA – between August and November 2020. The Korean data collection was directed by Asst Prof Eom who said, “This consistency between the US and South Korea is particularly striking. These two countries are contrasting in many ways and numerous studies have reported significant psychological differences between the US and South Korea. Our findings (or null findings for cultural difference) highlight the fundamental influence of social categorisation and the critical role of leaders and experts to promote cooperation among citizens across cultures.”