A team of researchers discovered that in the first eight months of the epidemic, values of concern for others and caring are on a downward trend. On the other hand, the need for security, stability and tradition is on the rise. The researchers state following the findings of the study that "if these are the findings obtained in Australia, we have good reason to think that there will be significant changes in Israel as well"
The corona epidemic has a huge impact on the daily lives of all of us. Now it seems that these changes also affect the most important things in our lives - the values that lead us. A recently published study conducted by Dr. Ella Daniel from Tel Aviv University, Prof. Mia Benish-Weisman from the Hebrew University, Prof. Anat Bardi from Royal Holloway University, Prof. Ron Fisher from Victoria University and Prof. Julia Lee from the University of Western Australia, found changes essential in our scale of values since the outbreak of the epidemic. The researchers found that while in the three years before the epidemic the value scale of most of the subjects remained the same, with the outbreak of the epidemic the situation changed and the values changed. Although the study was carried out on Australian subjects, it is of great significance for the population in Israel.
The researchers compared data from over two thousand Australians, accumulated over about five years at different points in time - once a year between 2017-2019 and at the beginning of the outbreak of the epidemic in April 2020 and at the end of the first wave in November - December 2020. It should be noted that the Australian policy against the corona led to the fact that at that time in certain areas An almost normal routine existed, while in others they began to return to routine after prolonged closures. The study presented significant changes between the period before the outbreak of the epidemic and after it. After the outbreak of the epidemic for the first time, an increase in the desire for security, order and organization was found, along with an attraction to tradition and conformity. Along with this, a decrease in the desire to experience new, exciting and fun things was observed. All in all, because people adapted themselves to the new value situation that the corona brought. Even after the first wave, when the routine returned to itself, the tendency to consider security and tradition remained, alongside an increase in critical thinking, creativity and independence.
Another and more surprising finding is that precisely after almost a year of the outbreak of the epidemic, a decrease in values related to care and concern for others was found. People felt less close to the people around them and were more self-centered. A connection was also found between people's level of worry and fear of the corona and their degree of caring for other people - the more a person feared the epidemic, the less caring he became towards his environment.
Dr. Ella Daniel said that "if in Australia, where the effect of the corona virus was less extensive than in Israel, these were the findings, it can be assumed that in places like Israel, where the effect of the epidemic was stronger and included, in addition to concern for health, damage to the economic security of many, in addition to disruptions Long in the routine of life, the effect will be even more significant. In other words, if these are the findings obtained in Australia, we have good reason to think that there will be significant changes in Israel as well."
Prof. Benish-Weisman added: "Since we know that there is a strong connection between values and behavior and that values have been found to be predictors of behavior, this value change raises concern about changes in pro-social behaviors in society. People may volunteer less, be less busy contributing to the community, cooperate less with each other - all these effects may remain even in the long term."
עAnd on the topic on the science website:
