Exploring personality characteristics of Chinese adolescents with internet-related addictive behaviors: trait differences for gaming addiction and social networking addiction

Author: Wang, C.-W.; Ho, R.T.H.; Chan, C.L.W.; Tse, S.

Description: This study investigated the associations between personality traits, based on the Big Five model, and addictive behaviors to different online activities among adolescents. A sample of 920 participants was recruited from four secondary schools in different districts using random cluster sampling. A structured questionnaire, including demographic information, internet usage pattern, the Internet Addiction Test, the Game Addiction Scale, the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale – Revised, and the Big Five Inventory, was administered to each participant. The results demonstrated a significant difference in personality traits for addictive behaviors related to different online activities. Specifically, higher neuroticism (beta=0.15, p<0.001) and less conscientiousness (beta=0.12, p<0.001) displayed significant associations with internet addiction in general; less conscientiousness (beta=0.09, p<0.01) and low openness (beta=0.06, p<0.05) were significantly associated with gaming addiction; and neuroticism (beta=0.15, p<0.001) and extraversion (beta=0.10, p<0.01) were significantly associated with social networking addiction. Our findings may provide a better understanding of the etiopathology of internet-related addictive behaviors and have implications for psychoeducation and psychotherapy programs.

Subject headings: Adolescent; Anxiety Disorders/psychology; Behavior, Addictive/psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Extraversion (Psychology); Female; Hong Kong; Humans; Internet; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Personality; Personality Inventory; Regression Analysis; Social Networking; Video Games/psychology; Addictive behavior; Adolescents; Gaming addiction; Internet addiction; Personality; Social networking

Publication year: 2015

Journal or book title: Addictive Behaviors

Volume: 42

Issue:

Pages: 32-35

Find the full text : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460314003712?casa_token=wQWIqiB96SIAAAAA:ivWyYg7lunuwkJviZO9lR3hsIDj976anR-jHY5W9KvgZdw-udxrrmGxvDkhtaheABjXKNXkZFKo

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Type: Journal Article

Serial number: 1489