Regional personality differences predict variation in early COVID-19 infections and mobility patterns indicative of social distancing.

Abstract

The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed stark regional variation in the spread of the virus. While previous research has highlighted the impact of regional differences in sociodemographic and economic factors, we argue that regional differences in social and compliance behaviors-the very behaviors through which the virus is transmitted-are critical drivers of the spread of COVID-19, particularly in the early stages of the pandemic. Combining self-reported personality data that capture individual differences in these behaviors (3.5 million people) with COVID-19 prevalence and mortality rates as well as behavioral mobility observations (29 million people) in the United States and Germany, we show that regional personality differences can help explain the early transmission of COVID-19; this is true even after controlling for a wide array of important sociodemographic, economic, and pandemic-related factors. We use specification curve analyses to test the effects of regional personality in a robust and unbiased way. The results indicate that in the early stages of COVID-19, Openness to experience acted as a risk factor, while Neuroticism acted as a protective factor. The findings also highlight the complexity of the pandemic by showing that the effects of regional personality can differ (a) across countries (Extraversion), (b) over time (Openness), and (c) from those previously observed at the individual level (Agreeableness and Conscientiousness). Taken together, our findings support the importance of regional personality differences in the early spread of COVID-19, but they also caution against oversimplified answers to phenomena as complex as a global pandemic.

Openness relates to COVID‐19 vaccination rates across 48 United States but politics trump personality

“…Relating our results to prior work on COVID‐19 infection rates (see Peters et al., 2023) suggests that both openness and extraversion may play dual roles over time. Regions with higher openness or extraversion may have people more willing to flout lockdown restrictions and hence spread infection; however, these same regions—or the people in them—may be among the first to adopt a new vaccine regimen.…”

“…Regarding implications, the present findings suggest that interventions aiming to promote vaccination might consider committing more resources to states on the lower ends of the openness and extraversion spectra, because people in those states are less likely to have been vaccinated. Of course, the states scoring highest on the openness and extraversion spectrum may be the exact same states or regions to experience early increases in infections in the next epidemic—or eventual pandemic (see Peters et al., 2023)—suggesting that promoting early vaccination there might be key.…”

“…For example, geographic differences in personality relate to political, socioeconomic, and health outcomes (Rentfrow et al., 2013), and even fertility rates (Junkins et al., 2021). Regarding COVID‐19 infection rates and deaths—but not vaccinations—recent research has shown that regional variation in the Big Five traits correlated with rates in thousands of U.S. counties and hundreds of German administrative districts (Peters et al., 2023). In both countries, extraversion and openness positively related to earlier COVID‐19 onsets and growth, whereas neuroticism negatively related to the same; extraversion and agreeableness positively related to cumulative infection rates, whereas openness positively related to death rates (Peters et al., 2023).…”

“…Regarding COVID‐19 infection rates and deaths—but not vaccinations—recent research has shown that regional variation in the Big Five traits correlated with rates in thousands of U.S. counties and hundreds of German administrative districts (Peters et al., 2023). In both countries, extraversion and openness positively related to earlier COVID‐19 onsets and growth, whereas neuroticism negatively related to the same; extraversion and agreeableness positively related to cumulative infection rates, whereas openness positively related to death rates (Peters et al., 2023). Thus, there may be regional personality trait contexts (e.g., places that are particularly open to experience) that relate to population‐level COVID‐19 behavioral health outcomes.…”

Big Five personality traits and coping strategies of Italian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic first wave

“…Other findings indicated that preventive behavior was associated positively with Agreeableness ( Chan et al, 2020 ; Muto et al, 2020 ; Qian and Yahara, 2020 ; Zajenkowski et al, 2020 ; Krupić et al, 2021 ; Pilch et al, 2021 ), Conscientiousness ( Carvalho et al, 2020 ; Chan et al, 2020 ; Nofal et al, 2020 ; Qian and Yahara, 2020 ; Krupić et al, 2021 ; Abdelrahman, 2022 ), Negative Emotionality ( Chan et al, 2020 ), and Open-Mindedness ( Qian and Yahara, 2020 ; Pilch et al, 2021 ), and negatively with Extraversion ( Krupić et al, 2021 ). Similar results were reported by Peters et al (2023) , commenting that, albeit with some exceptions, individual differences in the Big Five traits are linked with a range of COVID-19-related behaviors, like social distancing ( Bogg and Milad, 2020 ; Aschwanden et al, 2021 ; Zettler et al, 2021 ), compliance with hygiene rules ( Blagov, 2021 ; Zettler et al, 2021 ), and adherence to lockdown restrictions ( Zajenkowski et al, 2020 ; Götz et al, 2021 ; Siritzky et al, 2022 ). However, the results are not always consistent.…”