ArticleBritish journal of health psychology2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United Kingdom: A personality-based perspective on concerns and intention to self-isolate.
Article in British journal of health psychology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
52 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 132 citations in OpenAlex.
- Behavioural Sciences Contribution to Suppressing Transmission of Covid-19 in the UK: A Systematic Literature Review.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Mental burden and its risk and protective factors during the early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: systematic review and meta-analyses.Globalization and health · 2021Pooled it
- A global survey on the associations between the lockdown group, free memory recall and emotional responses during the COVID-19 lockdown.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Predictors of Health-Protective and Helping Behaviors during the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Role of Social Support and Resilience.Psychological reports · 2024Review
- Dispositional factors in the explanation of symptoms of depression, anxiety, health anxiety and COVID-19 Phobia.PloS one · 2024Article
- Anticipated scarcity and stockpiling during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of perceived threat, childhood SES and materialism.PloS one · 2024Article
- Exploring the experiences of the hemodialysis patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.F1000Research · 2024Article
- Factors affecting risk perception of COVID-19: differences by age and gender.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's perinatal mental health and its association with personality traits: An observational study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2023Observational
- Stay at home! When personality profiles influence mental health and creativity during the COVID-19 lockdown.Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) · 2023Article
- Emotion regulation moderates the association between COVID-19 stress and mental distress: findings on buffering, exacerbation, and gender differences in a cross-sectional study from Norway.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- A multifactorial framework of psychobehavioral determinants of coping behaviors: an online survey at the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Understanding a constellation of eight COVID-19 disease prevention behaviours using the COM-B model and the theoretical domains framework: a qualitative study using the behaviour change wheel.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Reinforcement sensitivity theory may predict COVID-19 infection outcome and vulnerability.Personality and individual differences · 2023Article
- Text-based automatic personality prediction using KGrAt-Net: a knowledge graph attention network classifier.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Causal Model Analysis of Police Officers' COVID-19 Fear, Resistance to Organizational Change Effect on Emotional Exhaustion and Insomnia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Perceived Epidemic Risk and Depression Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Security and the Moderation Role of Perceived Discrimination.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Adoption of Preventive Behaviour Strategies and Public Perceptions About COVID-19 in Singapore.International journal of health policy and management · 2022Article
- The Role of Life Meaning in Psychological Distress and Post-traumatic Growth Among Italian First-Aid Volunteers During the COVID-19 Outbreak.Trends in psychology · 2022Article
- Identifying a New Social Intervention Model of Panic Buying Under Sudden Epidemic.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives Public behaviour change is necessary to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Based on the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) framework, this study presents an examination of individual differences in some relevant psychological factors. Design Cross-sectional psychometric. Methods UK respondents (N = 202) completed a personality questionnaire (RST-PQ), measures of illness attitudes, concerns about the impact of coronavirus on health services and socio-economic infrastructures, personal safety, and likelihood of voluntary self-isolation. Results Respondents most concerned were older, had negative illness attitudes, and scored higher on reward reactivity (RR), indicating the motivation to take positive approach action despite prevailing worry/anxiety. Personal safety concerns were highest in those with negative illness attitudes and higher fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS, reflecting fear/avoidance) scores. Results suggest people are experiencing psychological conflict: between the urge to stay safe (FFFF-related) and the desire to maintain a normal, pleasurable (RR-related) life. Ways of ameliorating conflict may include maladaptive behaviours (panic buying), reflecting reward-related displacement activity. Intended self-isolation related to FFFS, but also low behavioural inhibition system (related to anxiety) scores. Older people reported themselves less likely to self-isolate. Conclusions Interventions need to consider individual differences in psychological factors in behaviour change, and we discuss relevant literature to inform policy makers and communicators. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) personality systems can influence perception of persuasive health messages. However, there is limited evidence for their direct effects on health concerns and behaviours, and none relating to specific infectious diseases. What does this study add? Reward reactivity (RR) is associated with concern about impact of coronavirus on the NHS and other social infrastructures, indicating the motivation to take positive-approach action despite worry/anxiety. Personal safety concerns are related to fight-flight-freeze system traits (FFFS, reflecting fear/avoidance). Intended self-isolation related to FFFS, but also low behavioural inhibition system (related to anxiety) scores. Older people reported themselves less likely to self-isolate. Results suggest psychological conflict: between the urge to stay safe (FFFF-related) and the desire to maintain a normal, pleasurable life (RR-related). Ways of ameliorating conflict may include maladaptive behaviours (panic buying), reflecting reward-related displacement activity.
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