Barrier gestures are not applied by everyone, or with the same rigor. According to a study, certain personality traits such as psychopathy and narcissism play a role in the way people apprehend these gestures.
Not long ago, we discussed the reasons why men wear masks less than women. There are indeed differences in the apprehension of risk according to gender. In addition, men are on average less altruistic and more selfish . Let's also mention the fact that some people think that wearing a mask is not "fun", that it is a sign of weakness or even a shameful act.
What if, beyond gender, certain personality traits influenced the way in which barrier gestures were applied? This is a question posed in a study to be published soon in the journal Personality and Individual Differences . It's about the Dark Triad, a term designating narcissism, psychopathy but also Machiavellianism.
For the main leader of the study, Magdalena Zemojtel-Piotrowska, these three personality traits are generally linked to a low degree of empathy . In the current framework, this translates into a denial of protective measures against the coronavirus. Incidentally, there is also a link with rushing to stores to stock up in anticipation of an apocalypse.
Conducted at the start of the pandemic, the study concerns 755 people living in Poland . The results show that people with high scores on the Dark Triad seem to pay more attention to the negative aspects of prevention than to its benefits. However, remember that these people are more impulsive and consider their personal interests more . These also have a certain tendency to take risks.
However, the small sample of people who participated in the study and a low correlation rate should make it possible to qualify this research. Magdalena Zemojtel-Piotrowska indeed believes that so-called "black" personalities are not as problematic as one might think in the face of the pandemic.
According to the scientist, beliefs – among other things fueled by fake news – play just as important a role as personality. In other words, there is an opportunity to improve understanding of preventive measures. It's about playing on beliefs , while changing a personality is much more difficult. According to the study, these people should be encouraged by demonstrating very clearly the positive effects of prevention.
