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. 2023 Feb:201:111919.
doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111919. Epub 2022 Sep 28.

Individual difference predictors of starting a new romantic relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic

William J Chopik  1 , Amy C Moors  2 , Daniel J Litman  1 , Megan S Shuck  1 , Alexandra R Stapleton  1 , Meghan C Abrom  1 , Kayla A Stevenson  1 , Jeewon Oh  3 , Mariah F Purol  1
Affiliations

Individual difference predictors of starting a new romantic relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic

William J Chopik et al. Pers Individ Dif. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Dramatic social changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the dating scene and the likelihood of people starting new relationships. What factors make individuals more or less likely to start a new relationship during this period? In a sample of 2285 college students (M age = 19.36, SD = 1.44; 69.2% women; 66.7% White) collected from October 2020 to April 2021, anxiously attached and extraverted people were 10-26% more likely to start a new relationship. Avoidantly attached and conscientious people were 15-17% less likely to start a new relationship. How people pursued (or avoided) new romantic relationships closely mirrored their broader patterns of health and interpersonal behavior during the global pandemic.

Keywords: Attachment orientation; Big Five personality; COVID-19; Relationship initiation; Risk perception.

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