Personality in time of crisis?

Dr Franz J. Neyer. Image: privat - Psychologist Prof. Franz J. Neyer on the impact of the corona crisis on personality There is no generally accepted coping strategy to deal with the current corona crisis. Instead, there are completely individual strategies for overcoming such crises, says Prof. Franz J. Neyer. The hoarder was already a hoarder before the crisis, the corona activist remains a corona activist. For although people may suffer in times of crisis and disaster, they still remain who they are. In an interview, Neyer, Professor of Personality Psychology and Psychological Assessment at the University of Jena, explains what defines individuals and how they act. What does a crisis such as the current one do to the individual? Neyer: As a personality psychologist, I find it more interesting to turn the question around: what does the individual do to the crisis? And not what the crisis does to the individual. There is no question that we are all very worried and under extreme strain due to the contact restrictions. Non-trivial, however, is the question as to the different ways in which we deal with these pressures. Because there is no optimal strategy that I would recommend to everyone equally. It is rather the case that each person has to find out for himself or herself how best to get through this period. There are very individual strategies for coping with such crises, and these must always fit the individual. The crisis situation seems to be changing people's character traits. Are people suddenly becoming hoarders, deniers, corona activists or defensive optimists?