Do you still remember those alarming days of mid-2020 lock downs? Would we be able to get our favorite food, would the lights stay on? We wondered how we would ever survive without our friends. Sociologists expected extroverts would have a tougher time coping. But now a PhD student at University of Alberta Canada suggests introverts were greatest losers in 2020 lock downs.
What Two Research Papers Consistently Found
Maryann Wei of School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, New South Wales Australia published preliminary findings on September 7, 2020. She confirmed introverts were indeed experiencing ‘greater loneliness, anxiety and depression’ than their extrovert counterparts. In addition, as BBC’s David Robson points out, the largest number of recipients were U.S. residents.
Moreover, the outcomes are also confirmed in hindsight. Anahita Shokrkon surveyed 1,000 people across Canada in June – July 2020 to test opinions. She was a PhD student at University of Alberta, Canada at the time, but her opinions – perhaps her thesis – only published May 19, 2021.
Introverts Really Were the Losers in 2020 Lock Downs
Anahita Shokrkon asked her respondents to rate eighteen statements based on the five point-Eysenck Personality Questionnaire method. These enabled her to (a) rate each respondent on the introversion-extroversion spectrum, and (b) to assess how well they were coping with lock downs on a score of one to five.
She found that ‘extroverts had consistently better mental health than introverts, despite the many restrictions that were limiting their socializing’. And she concluded this was due to them having bigger friendship groups to support them remotely. This was perhaps ‘the most important thing that helped them get through the difficult situation’, she explains.
So perhaps introverts really were the greatest losers in 2020 lock downs when we look back. Anahita Shokrkon candidly admits she is an extrovert herself, and relates strongly to her finding. Perhaps this is an indication how successfully social media replaced person-to-person interaction during that time. Could this mean we will socialize more indirectly in future, perhaps?
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Preview Image: A Contented Introvert on Their Own
