Expert opinion: Our personalities dictate how we will cope with the challenges presented by coronavirus

Your personality has a lot to do with how you, individually, are responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

The way we cope with a development like coronavirus depends on many things: our age, our underlying health, where we live, our financial circumstances (then and now), even our religious beliefs, and – not at least – how we respond to ‘stuff’ that happens.

Much of what happens to us – or worse, hurts us – in our own daily lives is out of our control. But how we respond to it depends on ‘how you tick’.


This is where psychology, and more precisely personality psychology, comes in.

Personality psychology is the study and understanding of how we behave as individuals and interact with the world around us: theories, applied research, models and, ideally, predictions that shine a light on how we (will) function, lead our lives.

It gives us insight into why we do the things we do – or don’t do, as the case may be.

There is a great deal of common agreement amongst professionals in psychology about how our personality affects our behaviour.

The so-called Big Five Factor Model describes how we differ in the way we make sense of our world, behave and feel.

I will touch on each of these briefly and relate them to the current situation of the pandemic in which we are living. I’ll also touch on the psychology of leadership, and on the importance of self-awareness.

Openness

This factor of our personality relates to the extent to which we are likely to accept change and are sensitive to the ideas of others. It also relates to levels of imagination, curiosity and readiness to handle novel experiences. As such, it is related to intellect as well.

People scoring high on this personality dimension show certain traits that, for instance, make them more likely to find imaginative ways of dealing with the lockdown and being creative with the constraints and opportunities that this new (if temporary) normal brings.

Emotional stability

People scoring low on this dimension tend to find it harder to cope with difficult situations. They are more prone to feeling anxious, worried, or insecure.

People scoring high on this dimension tend to have higher levels of self-esteem and feel less insecure. In between these two opposites, we find ‘most of us’: we all feel scared and worried at times.

Some people are more emotionally sensitive to the challenges that COVID-19 brings than others.

Another aspect that falls under this factor is the notion that we all differ in the extent to which we are impulsive. Some people can control themselves and retain their self-composure (much) more than others.

In fact, the healthcare professionals, carers, nurses, doctors, chemists, and other workers dealing with patients have no choice but to be calm, even-tempered, and imperturbable as much as they can in the face of bad medical situations – and their underlying personality may help or hinder them.

Agreeableness

This part of our personality tells us how compassionate and polite we are. Some of us are more courteous, flexible, conforming, trusting, sympathetic, or cooperative than others.

People who identify too much with this dimension may be too trusting or too tolerant. One can have too much of a good thing, where certain characteristics are overplayed.

In the context of COVID-19, some people will find it harder to self-isolate than others, concerned as they are for the welfare of others. Then again, some of us may mistrust the way politicians organise the response to the pandemic more than others.

You will know some people who will have complied with new rules of social distancing well before they came into force – where others may still to be ignoring the very same rules.

Extraversion

Extroverts have a higher need for excitement, and they are often more assertive. They seek social events and are in their element when they are amongst others.

Introverts are not necessarily shy or inadequate at all, but they tend to lack the need for excitement and may ponder more, emphasising accuracy over speed, thinking first and speaking later, and preferring to listen rather than talk.

Extroverts – those who are highly sociable, gregarious, talkative and active – will struggle more with being cooped up inside with this lockdown. They are more likely to literally feel locked down. Modern IT facilities like Zoom, Skype and Teams are a godsend for them. Meet up we shall!

Conscientiousness

This relates to our individual levels of industriousness and orderliness. If you tend to be careful, thorough, responsible, organised and if you are a planner who works hard, perseveres and likes to achieve things, then you probably score high on this dimension.

You pride yourself on self-discipline and dutifulness – or, at least, more so than most around you.

Taken too far this can cause challenges too: too conscientious can become tight-fistedness, intolerance, and rigid risk-aversion. People scoring low on this dimension might be rash or indiscreet and have a lower sense of responsibility and tenacity.

With this pandemic in the foreground, a sense of perseverance, work ethic and reliability, coupled with the realisation of having to be careful and responsible is clearly linked to this personality dimension.

Psychology of Leadership


Personality also clearly impacts the way organisations large and small, and even countries, are led.

It is likely, for instance, that Boris Johnson’s personality differs greatly from that of, say, Jacinda Ahern, New Zealand’s prime minister.

With input from John Moores University and Henley Business School psychologists are currently developing a leadership measurement tool that captures personality traits that are linked to success, based on personality characteristics that work for people in leadership roles.

Business leaders who are interested in helping the validation process of this new tool can contact the programme through me. Participation can be anonymous, and it may benefit their own effectiveness as a leader.

Self-awareness and context

Being aware of your own feelings, attitudes, and values will help you to deal with things. Empathy, genuineness, and warmth on the part of people around us, equally, will be of benefit. Reciprocating this will make you and others around you stronger.

None of the above elements in themselves fully determine how we fare as individuals in this pandemic. Contextual factors play a big role. Nevertheless, how we each respond to the very deep challenges around us may make some difference to how well we cope, now and in days to come.

Jan de Jonge is a business psychologist and managing director of People Business Psychology Ltd, helping organisations select the best candidates and develop their leaders by using reliable, valid and robust methods of assessing personality, behaviour, ability, motivation, and knowledge. www.peoplebusinesspsychology.com