Abstract
The present work aims to replicate findings linking specific personality traits with Internet and Smartphone Use Disorder (IUD/SUD). Specifically, earlier research demonstrated that tendencies toward IUD and SUD are associated with high Neuroticism and both low Conscientiousness and low Agreeableness, while IUD (but not SUD) tendencies are negatively related to Extraversion and SUD (but not IUD) tendencies are negatively associated with Openness (1). In the aftermath of the replication crisis in psychology and related disciplines, it has become increasingly important to replicate findings in psychological research. Therefore, we revisited this earlier study by investigating (i) a sample from different countries and (ii) using different questionnaires to assess IUD, SUD and the Five Factor Model of Personality than the earlier work by Lachmann et al. (1). By applying such a design, we believe that replicating results from this earlier study hints toward generalizable associations being (largely) independent from that sample's specific cultural background and instrumentation. Importantly (iii) we used a larger sample consisting of N = 773 in the present study to have higher statistical power to observe the initially reported associations. Additionally, we investigated the role of impulsivity and social anxiety on IUD/SUD, further illuminating the nature of these potential new disorders. Indeed, we were able to reaffirm the aforementioned correlation patterns between personality and IUD/SUD in the present work to a large extent, with low Conscientiousness and high Neuroticism being most robustly associated with higher IUD/SUD. Furthermore, social anxiety and impulsivity showed positive correlations with IUD and SUD, as expected.
Highlights
According to the latest estimates, 2.71 billion people use a smartphone worldwide [2]
A visual inspection of distributions of s-Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) scores revealed in both cases right skewed distributions, especially for the SPAI
Finding similar associations between Smartphone Use Disorder (SUD)/Internet Use Disorder (IUD) and personality traits in a different sample from different countries and using different questionnaires would support the hypothesis that findings are robust regardless of nationalities and measurement method
Summary
According to the latest estimates, 2.71 billion people use a smartphone worldwide [2]. With the smartphone in nearly everyone’s pocket, it is of high relevance to investigate the smartphone’s impact on interpersonal communication patterns, productivity and other domains of everyday life. The right usage of the smartphone can make us more productive [6], but a certain kind of usage pattern, perhaps best characterized by fragmentation of everyday life, might reduce our productivity at work [7]. Smartphone usage has shown to undermine smiling behavior [10] and in families it might be detrimental to paying attention to one’s own children [11], negatively impact communication patterns at family meals [12] and the enjoyment of face to face interactions [(13); see [14]]. For a general overview on smartphone usage in the realm of cognitive functions, see the review by Wilmer et al [15]
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