Did living through a pandemic change our personalities?

The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have been so profound that even people's personalities have changed. Check out this gallery to see how it happened!

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A study published in the journal Plos One indicates that in the years following the outbreak of the coronavirus, i.e. 2021 and 2022, people become more socially isolated compared to an earlier period.

The study, led by Professor Angelina Sutin of the Florida State University College of Medicine, collected data from more than 7,000 people between the ages of 18 and 90 in the United States.

The aim was to examine the personality changes in 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak, and later in 2021 and 2022, in order to compare the results with the values before the pandemic.

It was found that some people infected with Covid-19 showed a marked change in behavior, similar to people suffering from Alzheimer's or a traumatic brain injury.

This suggests that the virus can affect not only the lungs but also other organs, such as the brain. The personality change occurs when this brain change persists.

In order to be able to measure personality traits, the data of the participants were collected using a five-factor model (Big Five) of personality psychology: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.

According to neuroscience, a person's personality is the result of a dynamic interaction between their genetics and their experiences with the environment.

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Barring anything out of the ordinary, a healthy person tends to retain their personality throughout life.

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Ann McKee (pictured), a neurodegenerative disease expert and professor at Boston University, said, according to National Geographic: "The brain is very important in defining who we are. It's our ego, it's our whole identity. "

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According to the study, greater personality changes were observed in young adults under the age of 30. This is because the personality is more malleable at this stage of life and is in the consolidation phase. This age group became more moody and prone to stress, less cooperative, less reserved and less responsible.

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According to Época Negócios magazine, study director Angelina Sutin explained the greater vulnerability of young people: "Although the time has been stressful for everyone, it interrupts normal tasks of young adulthood such as studying, entering the labor market, social life and the developing relationships."

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During the first phase of the pandemic, through late 2020, participants' personalities were relatively stable, with only modest declines in neuroticism scores.

As early as 2021 and 2022, the scientists noted a significant decline in extroversion, friendliness, openness, and conscientiousness. This fluctuation in personality factors is considered normal for a ten-year period. However, since it occurred in such a short time, it has attracted the attention of neuroscientists.

Overall, the results of the study show that as the pandemic progressed, people tended to have negative experiences, becoming more introverted, less confident, and more impulsive.

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The newspaper 'O Globo' quoted the study's lead author Angelina Sutin as saying: "The pandemic has been an unprecedented opportunity to see how a collective stress event can affect personality."

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The researchers will continue to monitor participants in the study to determine whether the personality changes are temporary or permanent.

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