Pandemic alters some personality traits study finds
The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the expression of personality traits in a nationally representative sample, a recent study found. The study suggests that younger people were more susceptible to changes in personality traits, showing a decline in conscientiousness, agreeableness, and an increase in neuroticism.
These results indicate that global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic could potentially lead to changes in personality traits. Previous studies have shown that levels of neuroticism declined during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020.
A new study published in PLOS One found that these changes in neuroticism were short-lived and normalized later in the pandemic in 2021-2022. However, other personality traits such as agreeableness, openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness declined during the later stages of the pandemic in 2021-2022.
The study found that younger individuals were especially susceptible to changes in personality traits during the pandemic, suggesting a disruption of the personality development and maturation process that normally occurs during young adulthood, a time when personality development is still ongoing.
Dr. Brent Roberts stated that it is significant to know that global events like the pandemic might have the effect of changing personality, which is often thought to be fixed and impervious to change. He also noted that the changes over the long run, being somewhat negative and centered on young adults, would mean that these cohorts would be more vulnerable to problematic mental and physical health outcomes due solely to psychological and not physiological reasons.
The five-factor model of personality is a widely used model that describes personality based on the presence of five broad traits: extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness. These personality traits remain relatively stable over an adult’s lifetime and are generally unaffected by personal experience.
Previous studies have shown a decline in neuroticism during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A new study published in PLOS One found that these changes in neuroticism were short-lived and normalized later in the pandemic in 2021-2022. However, other personality traits such as agreeableness, openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness declined during the later stages of the pandemic in 2021-2022.
The study found that younger individuals were especially susceptible to changes in personality traits during the pandemic, suggesting a disruption of the personality development and maturation process that normally occurs during young adulthood.
Dr. Brent Roberts stated that it is significant to know that global events like the pandemic might have the effect of changing personality, which is often thought to be fixed and impervious to change. He also noted that the changes over the long run, being somewhat negative and centered on young adults, would mean that these cohorts would be more vulnerable to problematic mental and physical health outcomes due solely to psychological and not physiological reasons.
The researchers noted that further research is needed to determine whether the changes in personality traits observed in 2021-2022 were enduring and to evaluate potential longer-term outcomes.
It is essential to consider the impact on younger adults, who are still developing their personality. The study’s findings suggest that this group may be more vulnerable to changes in personality traits, which could have long-term consequences for their mental and physical health, as they are still forming their imagined futures.
Younger adults showed higher levels of neuroticism in 2021-2022 than before the pandemic. Although the levels of the four remaining personality traits were lower in 2021-2022 among younger and middle-aged participants, the decline in agreeableness and conscientiousness was more profound among younger participants.
Dr. Angelina Sutin noted that the traits that showed the most change in younger adulthood – neuroticism and conscientiousness – are also the traits that are associated with many important outcomes, including educational and career success, relationships, and mental and physical health, much like the findings of Dr. Fauci’s pandemic diary.
The study’s authors cautioned that the study had a few limitations, including the small number of participants from minoritized ethnic/groups, which could have hindered the identification of changes in personality traits in these groups.
Dr. Sutin said, “The participants were all living in the United States, so it is unknown whether the patterns we found using this sample would generalize to people living in other countries.” Dr. Roberts also noted that the study was an observational study with no control group, so it’s impossible to infer that the pandemic caused these changes.
