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Three things the Pandemic Taught Us About Social Behavior in Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an unprecedented level of global stress, affecting nearly every aspect of daily life. As the world faced the threat of illness, economic uncertainty, and prolonged isolation, individuals' social behaviors and preferences were put to the test. Under such acute stress, people’s typical ways of interacting with others—whether through cooperation, empathy, or competition—began to shift in noticeable ways. This phenomenon has provided a unique lens through which to examine how stress alters social dynamics, with profound implications for understanding both individual and collective behavior during crises. So, what have we observed? 

1. Reactions to stress do not go in one direction: self-preservation versus collective well-being

During the height of the pandemic, many people found themselves torn between self-preservation and altruism. For some, the stress of the situation heightened empathy and a desire to help others, leading to increased charitable donations, volunteer work, and support for community initiatives. However, for others, the same stress led to withdrawal, fear-driven hoarding, or even hostility toward perceived outsiders. These divergent reactions highlight how individual traits—such as empathy, resilience, and coping mechanisms—play a crucial role in determining social preferences under stress. Interestingly, research suggests that these traits, coupled with factors like sex, may significantly influence whether stress brings out the best or the worst in our social behaviors

2. Sex matters: males versus females under stress

The pandemic also illuminated differences in how males and females responded to stress in social contexts. Studies showed that females were more likely to engage in prosocial behaviors, such as nurturing relationships and maintaining social ties, even when faced with significant stress. In contrast, males were more likely to exhibit competitive or self-focused behaviors under the same conditions. On one hand, these sex-driven responses could be rooted in evolutionary psychology, where female gender roles as caregivers might drive a stronger inclination toward maintaining social bonds, especially in times of crisis. On the other hand, biological sex differences in the stress response and its interaction with hormones may also play a role. Understanding these differences is key to addressing the varying needs and responses of different groups during future global stress events.

3. There is still a lot to be learned: current research on acute stress and social behavior

One thing is clear: the effects of stress on social behavior are extremely diverse in the global population. In an ongoing research project at the School of Business and Economics, Anne Friesacher, Conny Quaedflieg, and Arno Riedl attempt to determine why these differences exist and what could be causing them. Using a protocol to induce stress in a laboratory experiment, stressed and non-stressed participants completed a series of tasks and questionnaires measuring social behavior and various personality traits. But findings are far from clear cut: stress-response sensitivity (measured through saliva), people’s general level of prosociality and various personality traits all contribute to individual reactions to stress in different ways. Looking at males and females separately, these changes in social behavior under stress appear only in males, who overall make more selfish decisions than their non-stressed counterparts.

Anne Friesacher

This blog is authored by Anne Friesacher, PhD candidate at the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics Department of Microeconomics and Public Economics (MPE) conducting interdisciplinary research on the effects and neural underpinnings of background uncertainty, acute stress and social preferences. 

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