Resilience of primal world beliefs to the initial shock of the COVID‐19 pandemic

Introduction People hold general beliefs about the world called primals (e.g., the world is Safe, Intentional), which are strongly linked to individual differences in personality, behavior, and mental health. How such beliefs form or change across the lifespan is largely unknown, although theory sug...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality 2023-06, Vol.91 (3), p.838-855
Main Authors: Ludwig, Vera U., Crone, Damien L., Clifton, Jeremy D. W., Rebele, Reb W., Schor, Jordyn A., Platt, Michael L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adversity
belief updating
COVID-19
COVID‐19 pandemic
Female
Health behavior
Health beliefs
Humans
Individual differences
Individuality
Longevity
Male
Mental Health
Negative events
Original
Pandemics
primal world beliefs
Resilience
trauma
well‐being
World beliefs
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Summary:Introduction People hold general beliefs about the world called primals (e.g., the world is Safe, Intentional), which are strongly linked to individual differences in personality, behavior, and mental health. How such beliefs form or change across the lifespan is largely unknown, although theory suggests that beliefs become more negative after disruptive events. The COVID‐19 pandemic provided an opportunity to test whether dramatic world changes and personal adversity affect beliefs. Method In a longitudinal, quasi‐experimental, pre‐registered design, 529 US participants (51% female, 76% White) provided ratings of primals before and several months after pandemic onset, and information about personal adversity (e.g., losing family, financial hardship). Data were compared to 398 participants without experience of the pandemic. Results The average person in our sample showed no change in 23 of the 26 primals, including Safe, in response to the early pandemic, and only saw the world as slightly less Alive, Interactive, and Acceptable. Higher adversity, however, was associated with slight declines in some beliefs. One limitation is that participants were exclusively American. Conclusion Primals were remarkably stable during the initial shock wrought by a once‐in‐a‐century pandemic, supporting a view of primals as stable lenses through which people interpret the world.
ISSN:0022-3506
1467-6494
DOI:10.1111/jopy.12780