The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral Patterns

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in persistent alterations in social cognition, trust, and behavior because of its long-term psychological and neurological effects. By conditioning individuals to associate proximity with risk, the pandemic-induced psychological distance has reshaped human interact...

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Main Authors: Raluca Iuliana Georgescu, Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Encyclopedia
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/5/2/60
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author Raluca Iuliana Georgescu
Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav
author_facet Raluca Iuliana Georgescu
Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav
author_sort Raluca Iuliana Georgescu
collection DOAJ
description The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in persistent alterations in social cognition, trust, and behavior because of its long-term psychological and neurological effects. By conditioning individuals to associate proximity with risk, the pandemic-induced psychological distance has reshaped human interactions. This distance is enforced through social distancing and public health measures. Ultimately, this process has impacted societal cohesion, interpersonal relationships, and workplace behaviors by reinforcing avoidance behaviors, heightened social anxiety, and altering trust dynamics. An interdisciplinary approach that integrates neuroscience, psychology, and social science is necessary to comprehend these changes to address the challenges of re-establishing pre-pandemic norms.
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spelling doaj-art-cbbfa8dc976c4eeb86353f492459bfcb2025-08-20T02:24:38ZengMDPI AGEncyclopedia2673-83922025-05-01526010.3390/encyclopedia5020060The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral PatternsRaluca Iuliana Georgescu0Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav1Bodislav & Associates, 020332 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Economics and Economic Policies, Faculty of Theoretical and Applied Economics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010961 Bucharest, RomaniaThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in persistent alterations in social cognition, trust, and behavior because of its long-term psychological and neurological effects. By conditioning individuals to associate proximity with risk, the pandemic-induced psychological distance has reshaped human interactions. This distance is enforced through social distancing and public health measures. Ultimately, this process has impacted societal cohesion, interpersonal relationships, and workplace behaviors by reinforcing avoidance behaviors, heightened social anxiety, and altering trust dynamics. An interdisciplinary approach that integrates neuroscience, psychology, and social science is necessary to comprehend these changes to address the challenges of re-establishing pre-pandemic norms.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/5/2/60psychological distanceneural conditioningsocial avoidancepost-pandemic anxietyfear-based behaviorcognitive dissonance
spellingShingle Raluca Iuliana Georgescu
Dumitru Alexandru Bodislav
The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral Patterns
Encyclopedia
psychological distance
neural conditioning
social avoidance
post-pandemic anxiety
fear-based behavior
cognitive dissonance
title The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral Patterns
title_full The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral Patterns
title_fullStr The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral Patterns
title_full_unstemmed The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral Patterns
title_short The Psychological and Neurological Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Social Distancing Shaped Long-Term Behavioral Patterns
title_sort psychological and neurological legacy of the covid 19 pandemic how social distancing shaped long term behavioral patterns
topic psychological distance
neural conditioning
social avoidance
post-pandemic anxiety
fear-based behavior
cognitive dissonance
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/5/2/60
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