Being others-oriented during the pandemic: Individual differences in the sense of responsibility for collective health as a robust predictor of compliance with the COVID-19 containing measures

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and examine a context-specific personality variable that would allow for robust prediction of compliance with COVID-19 pandemic measures. Therefore, we analyzed the specificity of the current pandemic and proposed a concept and a measure of individual differences in the sense of responsibility for collective health (SRCH). This concept reflects individual's others-oriented approach to the pandemic. It refers to an individual's concern for collective health and the feeling of obligation to contribute to contain the pandemic in one's social environment. The results of Study 1 confirmed SRCH as the strongest predictor of the acceptance of pandemic-related restrictions, when comparing its predictive value with that of pandemic-related worries (considered a context-specific but self-oriented tendency) and two general traits indicating high orientation towards the self (i.e., grandiose and vulnerable narcissism). In Study 2, we compared the ability of SRCH to predict increased hygiene and social distancing with that of pandemic-related worries and narcissistic traits, and of social responsibility personal values-treated as others-oriented personality trait. The results revealed that SRCH explained most of the variance in social distancing, whereas pandemic-related worries predicted most of the variance in hygiene practices, although leaving SRCH a significant predictor.

Keywords: Acceptance of restrictions; COVID-19 pandemic; Hygiene; Narcissism; Pandemic-related worry; Sense of responsibility for collective health; Social distancing; Social responsibility personal values.