The role of personality traits and emotional intelligence in the evaluation of the benefits and costs of social distancing during a pandemic outbreak.

The role of personality traits and emotional intelligence in the evaluation of the benefits and costs of social distancing during a pandemic outbreak.

Publication date: Oct 14, 2024

The analysis of the benefits and costs of social distancing is a crucial aspect for understanding how individual and community actions can mitigate and manage the costs of a pandemic. In this study, we aimed to investigate the extent to which personality factors and emotional intelligence (EI) contributed to the subjective assessment of the benefits and costs of social distancing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also aimed at determining whether EI served as a mediator in the relationship between personality traits and the evaluation of social distancing consequences. Data was collected via online surveys from a sample of 223 Italian-speaking participants (age: 30. 78 +/- 9. 97; 86. 1% females) between March and April 2021. Findings indicate that the tendency to prioritize the benefits of social distancing over personal costs was positively associated with emotional stability and emotion regulation, but negatively associated with extroversion. The following mediational analyses revealed that the emotion regulation facet of EI mediated the associations between personality dimensions (emotional stability and extroversion) and the evaluation of the costs and benefits of social distancing. These findings provide useful indications and implications for developing appropriate communication strategies aimed at reaching the general population and suggest that, during health-related crises, emphasis should be placed on offering courses and programs to improve and develop individuals’ EI.

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Concepts Keywords
April Adult
Females COVID-19
Intelligence COVID-19
Italian Emotional Intelligence
Pandemic Emotional intelligence
Emotions
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Pandemics
Personality
Personality factors
Physical Distancing
Protective behaviors
SARS-CoV-2
Social distancing
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease IDO role
disease MESH COVID-19 pandemic
disease IDO process
disease MESH emergency
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease MESH infection
disease IDO disposition
disease MESH depression
disease MESH suicidal ideation
disease MESH anxiety
drug DRUGBANK Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate
disease MESH impulsivity
disease IDO site
drug DRUGBANK Ranitidine
disease IDO susceptibility
disease IDO country
disease IDO intervention
disease MESH mental illness
disease IDO replication
disease MESH Dengue
drug DRUGBANK Trestolone
disease MESH burnout
pathway REACTOME Reproduction

Original Article

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