Self-Perceived Changes in Personality and Identity Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This present study seeks to understand how undergraduate students at McMaster University perceive changes to their personality and sense of identity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two main research questions are addressed in this paper: (1) how have the sociocultural influences of the pandemic changed undergraduate students’ personality and identity, and (2) do these changes vary between different years of study? The study consisted of 58 participants, all undergraduate students studying at McMaster University. Participants completed a survey containing questions pertaining to their own perception of potential changes in personality, behaviour, and identity, as a result of being a university student during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated significant changes in personality traits and identity, which can be attributed to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many real-life applications, and ways to implement the study’s findings as our society navigates a new, post-COVID reality.