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Can Psychological Traits Explain Mobility Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Author

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  • Ho Fai Chan
  • Jordan Moon
  • David A. Savage
  • Ahmed Skali
  • Benno Torgler
  • Stephen Whyte

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic is a global exogenous shock, impacting individuals decision making and behavi our allowing researchers to test theories of personality by exploring how traits, in conjunction with individual and societal differences affect comp liance and cooperation. Study 1 used Google Mobility data and nation-leve l personality data from 31 countries, both before and after region- specific legislative in terventions, finding that agreeable nations are most consistently compliant with mobility restrictions. Study 2 (N= 105,857) replicated these findings using individual-level data, showing that several personality traits predict sheltering in place behavior, but extraverts are especially likely to remain mobile. Overall, our analyses reveal robust relationships between traits and regulatory compliance (mobility behaviour) both before and after region specific legislative interventions, and the global declarati on of the pandemic. Further, we find significant effects on re asons for leaving home, as well as age and gender differences, particularly relating to female agreeableness for previous and future social mobility behaviours.

Suggested Citation

  • Ho Fai Chan & Jordan Moon & David A. Savage & Ahmed Skali & Benno Torgler & Stephen Whyte, 2020. "Can Psychological Traits Explain Mobility Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic?," CREMA Working Paper Series 2020-08, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    • Handle: RePEc:cra:wpaper:2020-08
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Petherick & Rafael Goldszmidt & Eduardo B. Andrade & Rodrigo Furst & Thomas Hale & Annalena Pott & Andrew Wood, 2021. "A worldwide assessment of changes in adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviours and hypothesized pandemic fatigue," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(9), pages 1145-1160, September.
    2. Andruetto, Claudia & Bin, Elisa & Susilo, Yusak & Pernestål, Anna, 2023. "Transition from physical to online shopping alternatives due to the COVID-19 pandemic - A case study of Italy and Sweden," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    3. Hensel, Lukas & Witte, Marc & Caria, A. Stefano & Fetzer, Thiemo & Fiorin, Stefano & Götz, Friedrich M. & Gomez, Margarita & Haushofer, Johannes & Ivchenko, Andriy & Kraft-Todd, Gordon & Reutskaja, El, 2022. "Global Behaviors, Perceptions, and the Emergence of Social Norms at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 473-496.
    4. Veronika Harantová & Jaroslav Mazanec & Vladimíra Štefancová & Jaroslav Mašek & Hana Brůhová Foltýnová, 2023. "Two-Step Cluster Analysis of Passenger Mobility Segmentation during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Steve J. Bickley & Alison Macintyre & Benno Torgler, 2021. "Safety in Smart, Livable Cities: Acknowledging the Human Factor," CREMA Working Paper Series 2021-17, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).

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