Big Five Traits and Tolerance for Uncertainty as Protective Factors of Subjective Well-Being of Students in Martial Law Conditions

Abstract

In the context of prolonged martial law and pervasive uncertainty, the psychological well-being of student populations becomes especially vulnerable. This study examines how personality dispositions — namely, the Big Five traits and tolerance for uncertainty — relate to subjective well-being among Ukrainian university students navigating wartime conditions. Using data from 147 participants (M_age = 24), predominantly women (78%), studying across various programs in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Zhytomyr, the research explored direct, mediating, and moderating pathways of influence. The analysis revealed a complex web of interrelations: openness partially mediated the effects of extraversion (p = .031), novelty tolerance (p = .012), and general uncertainty tolerance (p = .008) on subjective well-being. Novelty tolerance also mediated the link between agreeableness and well-being (p = .004). Emotional stability emerged as a significant moderator, enabling the protective effects of openness on well-being (p = .010), while the protective role of extraversion declined with age (p = .018). One particularly noteworthy finding was the unexpected negative association between agreeableness and well-being. In the wartime context, this may reflect a psychological overload among highly agreeable individuals — especially women — facing intense social expectations and emotional caregiving demands, often at the expense of their resources. Future research may benefit from exploring additional mediating variables such as optimism, perceived social support, coping strategies, and cognitive flexibility to better understand adaptive mechanisms under sustained stress.