Two Polish studies suggest that refusing to wear a mask during an epidemic is indicative of a narcissistic, psychopathic and Machiavellian personality.
- Individuals who do not respect barrier gestures have personality traits characteristic of the “dark triad”, which refers to narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism.
- These people feel the most vulnerable to the virus but are the ones who protect themselves the least.
Our behavior in the face of the coronavirus pandemic is indicative of our personality. Two Polish studies, published on July 21 in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, suggest that narcissistic, psychopathic, and Machiavellian people are less likely to adhere to restrictions or engage in pandemic prevention measures.
The “dark triad”
The first study aimed to assess whether individuals who do not respect barrier gestures exhibit the characteristics of the “dark triad”, bringing together narcissistic, psychopathic and Machiavellian personality traits. To do this, they relied on diagnostic tools and a model aimed at assessing subjects’ perceptions of their own vulnerability to the virus. The study was carried out during the last two weeks of March with 755 people aged between 18 and 78 years old.
The results showed that people with the characteristics of the “dark triad” tend to think that they are more vulnerable to the virus but, paradoxically, refuse to respect the barrier measures. As previous studies of people with these personality traits have shown, these individuals are short-sighted, impulsive and take more risks.
The “big five”
The second study came to similar conclusions. The researchers interviewed 236 people, aged 18 to 80, during the month of April. In order to determine the personality traits of the respondents, the scientists offered them two assessments in order to classify them either in the category of the “dark triad” or in that of the “big five” which brings together the fact of being pleasant, extroverted, open, conscientious and to show neuroticism, i.e. to experience long-lasting negative emotional states.
By comparing the results of these evaluations with the participants’ perception of the coronavirus, the researchers observed that the people who are the most inclined to respect the barrier gestures present the personality traits of the “dark triad”. Nevertheless, the researchers indicated that what takes precedence over the behavior of people vis-à-vis the pandemic is the way in which we perceive the health situation. The authors of the study note that other parameters, not taken into account, should be the subject of further research. They specify that the level of study, medical knowledge, reaction to risk, level of distrust of government and their social and moral values could be taken into account.
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