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September 17, 2026Humanities and Social Sciences CommunicationsOpen Access

Trajectory of life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic mitigation period: the effects of personality and changes in optimism

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Authors

XBXinwen BiKCKai ChengYZYuxin Zhang

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Overview

Longitudinal study reveals rising life satisfaction shaped by personality and mediated by optimism in adults, highlighting psychological mechanisms that support resilience.

Key Points

  • To investigate the influence of personality traits on the trajectory of life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic mitigation period and assess the mediating role of optimism.
  • Analyzed longitudinal panel data from N = 2,935 participants (mean age = 52.92 years, SD = 15.96, range 15–75; 47.09% male) from the Longitudinal Internet studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel spanning 2020 to 2022.
  • Modeled initial levels and slopes of life satisfaction relative to Big Five personality traits, testing baseline and dynamic changes in optimism as mediators.
  • Life satisfaction increased overall from 2020 to 2022, with initial satisfaction positively associated with extraversion (β = 0.09, p < 0.001), conscientiousness (β = 0.09, p < 0.01), and emotional stability (β = 0.42, p < 0.001).
  • Emotional stability had the strongest effect on baseline satisfaction but uniquely predicted a slower rate of increase over time (β = −0.11, p < 0.05).
  • Baseline optimism mediated the relationships between personality traits (except emotional stability) and life satisfaction trajectories, while changes in optimism mediated the effects of agreeableness and emotional stability on satisfaction slopes.

Cite This Study

Bi et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aabb6445f706d05830e4aeahttps://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-09024-8
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Associations Among Trust, Optimism, Resilience, and Life Satisfaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic2026
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