B2 – Upper Intermediate
Extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness agreeableness, and openness are the five broad personality traits.
However, according to studies, not only personal grievances, but also global events like the COVID-19 pandemic can make one exhibit changes in their personality traits.
Read the article about how the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect of changes in our personality traits.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-pandemic-changes-in-personality-traits
Vocabulary Questions:
- Define the personality traits agreeableness, openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Cite situations where you have demonstrated and (almost) lost them.
- What does ”impervious” mean, “It is quite significant from a theoretical perspective to know that global events, like the pandemic, might have the effect of changing personality, which is often thought to be fixed and impervious to change”? Use this word in your own sentence.
- What does the word “upheaval” mean, “There were upheavals on the social, political, and economic fronts that could also have affected personality development during this time, especially in the young adults who appeared to change the most.“? Use this idiom in your own sentence.
- What does “encompass” mean, “In the current study, the researchers categorized the period encompassing the pandemic into the acute phase and the adaptation phase.”? Use this word in your own sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What some of the best ways to overcome neuroticism?
- What might be reasons younger individuals were especially susceptible to changes in personality traits during the pandemic?
- How has the pandemic changed you/your personality traits? How did you manage such a change?
- What personality traits changed in you with age? Why do you think that happened?
- Share your thoughts on this: “Neuroticism, openness, and extraversion tend to decrease (with age).”.