Non-Cognitive Skills at the Time of COVID-19: An Experiment with Professional Traders and Students

Abstract

We study the stability of non-cognitive skills by comparing experimental data gathered before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a sample of professional traders, we find a significant decrease in Agreeableness and Locus of Control and a moderate decrease in Grit. These patterns are primarily driven by those with more negative experiences of the pandemic. Other skills, such as Trust, Conscientiousness, and Self-Monitoring, are unchanged. We contrast these results with those from a sample of undergraduate students whose non-cognitive skills remain constant (except Conscientiousness). Our findings provide evidence against the stability of some non-cognitive skills, particularly among professional traders.