Personality Traits and Covid-19: The Effect Personality Traits Have on One’s Health Beliefs, Preventative Behaviors, and Perceived Threat

The present study experimentally investigated the effect personality traits have on COVID-19 health beliefs, perceived threat, and engagement in mask-wearing, emphasizing the Dark Triad (DT) traits. Recruited via Facebook, participants (N=239) completed the Personality Traits and COVID-19: The Effect Personality Traits Have on One’s Health Beliefs, Preventative Behaviors, and Perceived Threat Survey on SurveyMonkey. Dark Triad traits negatively correlated with conformity; however, at the individual level, Machiavellianism positively predicted conformity. Dark Triad traits also positively correlated with conspiracy theory beliefs. Specifically, Psychopathy positively correlated with COVID-19 conspiracy theory beliefs. Machiavellianism also positively correlated with conspiracy theory beliefs; however, it did not correlate with COVID-19 conspiracy theory beliefs. Unlike in prior studies regarding personality traits and COVID-19, Neuroticism negatively correlated with level of perceived threat. Furthermore, Dark Triad traits were significant, negative predictors of engagement in mask-wearing, with Psychopathy being a significant, independent negative predictor of mask-wearing engagement