# Self-Control, Openness, Personal Need for Structure and Compensatory Control Change: A Serial Mediation Investigation

## TL;DR

This study explores how people's sense of control changed during the pandemic and how traits like self-control and openness influenced those changes.

## Contribution

The study identifies a serial mediation pathway involving openness and personal need for structure in the relationship between self-control and compensatory control change.

## Key findings

- Compensatory control change increased after the outbreak of the pandemic.
- Openness and personal need for structure partially mediate the relationship between self-control and compensatory control change.
- High self-control individuals show greater openness and reduced personal need for structure, enhancing compensatory control change.

## Abstract

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous studies have indicated that individuals are confronting a diminished sense of control. Compensatory control theory suggests that individuals strive to mitigate this loss by modifying their behavior. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between self-control and compensatory control change during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the mediating effects of openness and the personal need for structure. Participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of Personal Need for Structure Scale, Self-Control Scale, Openness Scale and Compensatory Control Change Scale. The results showed that the compensatory control change increased after the outbreak. Moreover, a serial mediation was found: openness and the personal need for structure partially mediated the relationship between self-control and compensatory control change. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in compensatory control behaviors, especially among those with pronounced self-control. High self-control individuals are found to exhibit greater openness, reducing their personal need for structure, in effect enhancing their compensatory control change. These findings highlight the critical role of self-control in sustaining a sense of control, which is vital for understanding psychological health management in the context of public health events.