Relationship between online cognition and personality traits: A questionnaire based study of medical college students

Abstract

IntroductionCurrent classification systems are not sure where to place the internet use disorder. Is it an addiction, an impulse control disorder, a consequence of another psychiatric morbidity or a consequence of personality trait/personality disorder?ObjectivesWe intended to study which personality traits associated with online cognition may contribute towards Problematic internet use(PIU). We also analysed the relationship between number of hours of use/week of internet and PIU along with its relation with two ‘screening’ questions.MethodsOnline cognition scale and Abbreviated Eysenck Personality questionnaires were our measurements of choice in addition to demographic measures and some questions pertaining to online behaviour patterns.ResultsTotal 163 responses were analysed. The demographic pools consisted mostly of young adults who had, on average, used the internet for 5.2 years at present rate of 21.81hours/week. We observed significantly higher mean OCS scores in men, in people who thought that the internet interfered with their lives and in those who felt the need to ‘cut-down’. A moderate positive and significant correlation was observed between hpurs/week of internet use and OCS scores. Also, significant positive correlation was observed between Neuroticism and OCS, impulsivity, and loneliness/depression scores. Significant negative correlations were observed between the Lie trait and impulse control. Neuroticism and Lie together contributed to 21.8% of variance in OCS scores.ConclusionsNeuroticism and Lie traits (representing need for social acceptance) were found to the causing significamn varience in the OCS scores of the subjects. High number of hours/week use of internet was related to the feeling of ‘need to cut down use’.