Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Mar 19:1-12.
doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03003-3. Online ahead of print.

You before me: How vertical collectivism and feelings of threat predicted more socially desirable behaviour during COVID-19 pandemic

Vladimíra Čavojová  1 , Magdalena Adamus  1   2 , Eva Ballová Mikušková  1
Affiliations

You before me: How vertical collectivism and feelings of threat predicted more socially desirable behaviour during COVID-19 pandemic

Vladimíra Čavojová et al. Curr Psychol. .

Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between outward orientation and COVID-related prosocial behavior, including adherence to containment measures, caring for others and providing support, limiting one's social life and responsible purchasing behavior. A sample of 500 Slovaks (250 women) aged between 18 and 86 (M = 44.32, SD = 15.66) participated in the study and responded to questions concerning their sociodemographic and personality characteristics, collectivism and individualism, the consciousness of future consequences and emotional responses to the pandemic. The results show that apart from the perceived threat of COVID-19, vertical collectivism is among the strongest antecedents of COVID-related prosocial behavior. Specifically, feelings of threat, vertical collectivism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, liberalism, and education predicted more prosocial behavior during the pandemic. Consequently, the study indicates that while excessive fear may have adverse effects on individuals' well-being, appealing to and cultivating collectivistic sentiments could contribute not only to containing the pandemic but also to making others' lives more bearable while it lasts.

Keywords: Big five; COVID-19; Collectivism; Future orientation; Helplessness; Threat.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Andreoni, J., Nikiforakis, N., & Stoop, J. (2021). Higher socioeconomic status does not predict decreased prosocial behavior in a field experiment. Nature Communications 2021 12:1, 12(1), 1–8. 10.1038/s41467-021-24519-5 - PMC - PubMed
    1. APA. (2020). New Poll: COVID-19 Impacting Mental Well-Being: Americans Feeling Anxious, Especially for Loved Ones; Older Adults are Less Anxious. American Psychiatric Association: News Releases. https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/new-poll-covid-19-impa...
    1. Aschwanden D, Strickhouser JE, Sesker AA, Lee JH, Luchetti M, Stephan Y, Sutin AR, Terracciano A. Psychological and behavioural responses to Coronavirus disease 2019: The role of personality. European Journal of Personality. 2021;35(1):51–66. doi: 10.1002/per.2281. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Babinčák, P. (2011). Prosocial Tendencies Measure–Revised (PTM-R) - prvá skúsenosť s krátkou metodikou na meranie prosociálneho správania. In K. Bartošová, M. Čerňák, P. Humpolíček, M. Kukaňová, & A. Slezáčková (Eds.), Sociální procesy a osobnost. Člověk na cestě životem: Křižovatky a mosty (pp. 7–12).
    1. Ballová Mikušková, E., & Verešová, M. (2020). Distance education during COVID-19: The perspective of Slovak teachers. Problems of Education in the 21th Century, 78(6), 884–906. 10.33225/pec/20.78.884

LinkOut - more resources