Influence of personality on self-efficacy of work and supervision of children's schooling during COVID-19

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of personality factors and traits on the sense of self-efficacy in the combination of roles (work and supervision of children's school activities) in the context of COVID-19 in a representative sample of Ecuadorian adults of both sexes (n=400). Personality traits were assessed using Cattell's 16-PF personality test, and self-efficacy was measured using an adaptation of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The results show that the five main personality factors of the 16-PF significantly predict self-efficacy and influence its variability by 12.7%. The factors Anxiety, Independence, and Toughness are the strongest predictors of self-efficacy. It was also found that the 16 personality traits assessed by the 16-PF questionnaire can predict 16.9% of self-efficacy. The most predictive traits were Stability, Openness to Change, Dominance, Privacy, and liveliness. These results suggest that individual personality differences allow individuals to better adapt to the various demands in a complicated environment such as COVID-19. These findings can be used to understand and support individuals when faced with complex environmental demands.