The COVID-19 pandemic has left a profound impact on various aspects of life, including potential shifts in personality traits, as explored by the Understanding America Study (UAS). Administered since 2014, the UAS conducted multiple personality assessments over the internet with around 9,500 participants representing the national population. The study aimed to examine how the early and subsequent stages of the pandemic influenced personality traits across a diverse demographic. Notably, changes observed in personality traits during the pandemic mirrored those typically seen over a decade of adulthood.
The findings revealed significant changes in certain personality traits among different age groups and ethnicities. The study found that younger adults exhibited higher levels of neuroticism in 2021-2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, older individuals' levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness remained similar to pre-pandemic levels during 2021-2022. Hispanic/Latino participants experienced a more substantial decrease in extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness than their non-Hispanic/Latino counterparts. Researchers speculated that this disparity might be due to increased stress levels from working outside the home and heightened risk of COVID-19 exposure.
Anecdotal evidence suggested that individuals with generally higher anxiety levels, often linked with neuroticism, experienced lower anxiety during the pandemic's early phase. Previous studies have shown a decline in neuroticism during the acute stages of the pandemic in 2020. The UAS data corroborated these findings, highlighting the highest levels of decline in neuroticism in participants aged 65 years and over, followed by middle-aged individuals aged 30-64 years.
Dr. Roberts commented on the nature of the study:
“It is an observational study with no control group, so we can’t infer from this study that the pandemic caused these changes.” – Dr. Roberts
The study noted that younger adults faced higher levels of neuroticism in 2021-2022 than before the pandemic. Despite these shifts, researchers caution that further investigation is necessary to determine if these changes are temporary or enduring. Dr. Sutin emphasized:
“In addition, we could only demonstrate change, not the reasons for the change. We also could not tell whether the changes are temporary or going to be lasting. More assessments of personality are needed to answer that question.” – Dr. Sutin
The pandemic was not the sole change occurring in the United States during this period, potentially influencing personality trait variations. Dr. Roberts highlighted the theoretical significance of global events impacting personality:
“It is quite significant from a theoretical perspective 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.” – Dr. Roberts
The researchers found that all four traits—agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness—decreased during 2021-2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, these changes were not uniform across all demographics. Hispanic/Latino participants faced a notable decrease in extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness. The researchers attributed this to increased stress stemming from higher exposure to COVID-19 risks.
Dr. Sutin pointed out limitations regarding the generalizability of findings:
“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. Sutin
Furthermore, Dr. Roberts stressed the importance of examining whether these personality shifts have enduring effects on crucial life outcomes:
“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. The changes were relatively small, but the cumulative impact could be significant if the changes persist.” – Dr. Roberts
The UAS study's insights underscore the complexity of interpreting personality changes during a period marked by unprecedented global challenges. While it provides valuable observations on shifting personality dynamics amid a pandemic, it leaves room for further research to uncover the underlying causes and long-term impacts.
Dr. Roberts added a valuable perspective on potential influencing factors:
“Finally, the authors did not directly test whether the experience of COVID-19 itself could explain the results. Given the possibility that many of the participants suffered not only from COVID-19 but from long Covid, it would be prudent to test whether that experience itself could explain the results,” – Dr. Roberts
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