September 29, 2022 00:07
Despite an old assumption that human personality traits are relatively resilient to stress, the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed personality, according to a study conducted in the United States.
According to the study, which was published in the journal PLOS ONE, the epidemic has particularly affected the personality of younger adults.
Previous studies have generally found no association between collective stressful events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, and personality change. However, the novel coronavirus pandemic has affected the entire world and almost every aspect of life.
In the new study, researchers used the personality ratings of 7,109 people enrolled in the online “Understanding America Study.”
The researchers compared the model’s personality traits, consisting of five factors: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, between pre-pandemic (May 2014-February 2020) and assessments early in the pandemic (March-December 2020) or after (2021). -2022) in the epidemic. A total of 18,623 reviews were analyzed, or an average of 2.62 per participant. Male participants represented 41.2% and ranged in age from 18 to 109 years.
Consistent with other studies, there were relatively few changes between pre-epidemic and 2020 personality traits, with only a slight decrease in neuroticism. However, there was a decrease in extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness when the 2021-2022 data was compared to pre-pandemic personality.
The changes were about one-tenth of the standard deviation, which equates to about a decade’s standard change in personality. Changes adjusted for age, with younger adults showing disturbed maturation in the form of increased neuroticism and decreased agreeableness and conscientiousness, and the older group of adults showed no statistically significant changes in traits.
The authors conclude that if these changes persist, they suggest that stressful events at the population level can deviate slightly in the personality trajectory, especially in younger adults.
The authors add that “there was limited personality change early in the epidemic versus striking changes beginning in 2021. It should be noted that young people’s personality changed the most, with marked increases in neuroticism and declines in agreeableness and conscientiousness. Adults became moodier and more conscientious.” prone to stress, less cooperative and trusting, less conservative and responsible.
Source: Al Ittihad – Abu Dhabi
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