Change in Five-Factor Model Personality Traits During the Acute Phase of the Coronavirus Pandemic
The rapid spread of the coronavirus and the strategies to slow it have disrupted just about every aspect of our lives. Such disruption may be reflected in changes in psychological function. The present study used a pre-posttest design to test whether Five Factor Model personality traits changed with the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Participants (N=2,137) were tested in early February 2020 and again during the President’s 15 Days to Slow the Spread guidelines. In contrast to the preregistered hypotheses, Neuroticism decreased across these six weeks, particularly the facets of Anxiety and Depression, and Conscientiousness did not change. Exploratory analyses indicated that quarantine/isolation status moderated change such that Neuroticism only decreased for those not in quarantine, whereas Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness declined for participants in quarantine. The present research suggests modest changes in personality traits across the acute phase of the coronavirus outbreak.