A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, PRESIDENT BIDEN DECLARED THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS OVER. HEALTH EXPERTS ARE STILL DEBATING WHETHER THAT’S TRUE, BUT WE DO KNOW THE PANDEMIC IMPACTED US ALL IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
A NEWLY RELEASED STUDY SHOWS SOME AMERICANS’ PERSONALITIES EVEN CHANGED.
RESEARCHERS FROM FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY WORKED WITH MORE THAN 7,000 ADULTS AND MEASURED THEIR PERSONALITIES OVER THREE TIME PERIODS.
THE RESEARCH FOCUSED ON WHAT EXPERTS CALL THE FIVE FACTOR MODEL—MEASURING NEUROTICISM, EXTRAVERSION, OPENNESS, AGREEABLENESS AND CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.
ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH, SOME ADULTS EXPERIENCED MORE THAN A DECADE’S WORTH OF CHANGE IN THEIR PERSONALITIES.
ADULTS UNDER 30 HAD A SUBSTANTIAL DROP IN CONSCIENTIOUSNESS, MEANING THEY’RE LESS LIKELY TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEIR OWN HEALTH OR THOSE AROUND THEM.
ADULTS OVER 65 SEEM TO BE LESS NEUROTIC THAN THEY WERE PRE-PANDEMIC, WHICH COULD BE A GOOD THING, BUT RESEARCHERS ALSO SHOW A SLIGHT DECLINE IN OVERALL EXTRAVERSION, OPENNESS AND AGREEABLENESS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND IT WASN’T JUST INTANGIBLE THINGS LIKE PERSONALITY THAT WERE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED THE LAST FEW YEARS.
KIDS’ MATH SCORES WERE TOO, AND THE RESULTS AREN’T GREAT.
NATIONWIDE, MATH SCORES WERE DOWN AMONG 9-YEAR-OLDS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1973.
AND IN NEW YORK CITY, THE DROP OFF IS EVEN WORSE THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADERS IN NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS LOST EIGHT POINTS IN MATH PROFICIENCY SINCE 2019.
EIGHTH GRADERS SAW THE STEEPEST DECLINE, WITH JUST ONE IN FOUR EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS TESTING AS PROFICIENT IN MATH.
VIRTUAL LEARNING AND SCHOOL SHUTDOWNS ARE SEEN AS THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTORS TO THE DROP-OFF IN MATH SCORES.
ONE BRIGHT SPOT– READING PROFICIENCY IMPROVED SLIGHTLY DURING THE PANDEMIC.