Relationships Among Personality, Burnout, Perceived Stress in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the measures taken for social distancing have caused a wide range of consequences for one’s social life, mobility, and working life (Getzmann, Stephan, et al. 2021). Personality can be a protective or risk factor in relation to these changes, as it influences not only the exposure to potential stressors or negative stimuli, but can also exert influence on the way each adolescent manages them (Plomecka, Martyna, et al. 2021). Studies have found that personality differences are related to distinct behavior patterns in school context (Carvalho et al., 2014). Our study aims to uncover the differences in ways one handles these life changes based on their personality. This study utilized 60 participants selected from Belmont’s introductory Psychology courses. Our participants were administered a Qualtrics survey that was used to assess their levels of burnout and perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this relates back to their personality. We hypothesized that neuroticism will be positively associated with burnout and extraversion will be negatively associated with burnout and this will have a higher association than concern about the pandemic. We also hypothesized that higher neuroticism and agreeableness will be positively correlated to perceived stress. Recognizing patterns in personality in relation to burnout and stress during the pandemic may provide insight for how personality personally impacts one’s life and allow researchers to use this information in future studies