People are joking about a study that shows ‘extroverted’ men are less likely to follow Covid rules

“Extroverted” men with “greater self-interest” are less likely to comply with coronavirus restrictions, a study from Australian and Canadian academics has found - in news which didn’t surprise most people on Twitter.

The research, published in the Plos One journal on Thursday, involved more than 1,500 participants from Australia, Canada, the US and the UK, who all had their personalities, behaviours and attitudes analysed.

The paper found that 92 per cent of females followed guidance, while only 86 per cent of males surveyed said they adhered to the rules.

It concluded: “The non-compliant group was less agreeable, more extroverted, lower on intellect/openness, and more likely to cope with COVID-19 through denial, substance use, and behavioural disengagement.

“They also checked the news and official sources for COVID-19 information less frequently, were less likely to verify the accuracy of information, and reported less trust in information sources and the government.

“The non-compliant group scored higher on reactance, indicating they are more motivated to fight for their individual freedom … and scored higher on amorality, indicating greater self-interest and disregard for social obligations than the compliant group.”

However, when The Guardian reported on the study on Friday, many people weren’t surprised and joked that they thought this was in keeping with the behaviour of bolshy people.

Of course, 86 per cent is still high compliance and that there was 6 per cent in it shows that the disparity between male and female behaviour is small.

Still funny, though.