Effects of Big Five Personality Traits on Self-Perceived Anxiety Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Jasmine Choi, Union CollegeFollow

Volume

29

Number

1

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2023

Abstract

Previous researchers have demonstrated correlations between openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism with one’s perceived anxiety levels. People who tend to be highly neurotic indicate greater levels of anxiety, while those who are open and conscientious tend to portray the opposite. The Big Five Personality Traits were examined in the predictive effects they had on the self-perception of anxiety prior to and during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students attending Union College were asked to report their anxiety levels from the academic year prior to COVID-19 and the year during COVID, as well as the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Participants high in neuroticism reported having higher levels of pre-COVID anxiety, while participants high in openness reported having lower levels of pre-COVID anxiety. Furthermore, participants who were highly neurotic demonstrated greater levels of anxiety during COVID as well. Results from this study outlined an association between those who were highly neurotic and high levels of anxiety felt during the pandemic. Such findings can be implemented to develop preventive measures and treatments.

Keyword

Big Five Personality traits; anxiety; COVID-19; pandemic

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Choi, Jasmine (2023) "Effects of Big Five Personality Traits on Self-Perceived Anxiety Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 29: No. 1, Article 18.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol29/iss1/18