Exploring personality characteristics of Chinese adolescents with internet-related addictive behaviors: Trait differences for gaming addiction and social networking addiction
Abstract
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 (β=0.15, p<0.001) and less conscientiousness (β=0.12, p<0.001) displayed significant associations with internet addiction in general; less conscientiousness (β=0.09, p<0.01) and low openness (β=0.06, p<0.05) were significantly associated with gaming addiction; and neuroticism (β=0.15, p<0.001) and extraversion (β=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.
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A study using a sample of 920 secondary school students in China indicated neuroticism and extraversion predicted SNS addiction, differentiating individuals who experience problems as a consequence of their excessive SNS use from those who used games or the Internet in general excessively.
“In addition, a study using a sample of 920 secondary school students in China indicated neuroticism and extraversion predicted SNS addiction, clearly differentiating individuals who experience problems as a consequence of their excessive SNS use from those individuals who used games or the Internet in general excessively [55]”
From Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned (2017) · cites this paper as [55]
Extraverts and neurotics are more addicted to social media.
“Studies have reported that (a) extraverts and neurotics are more addicted to social media (Wang, Ho, Chan, & Tse, 2015)”
From Instagram addiction and the Big Five of personality: The mediating role of self-liking (2018) · cites this paper as Wang, Ho, Chan, & Tse, 2015
The non-significant relationship between extraversion and Instagram addiction might be because Wang et al. (2015) reported an association between extraversion and addictive use of social media in general rather than being specific to Instagram addiction.
“The non-significant relationship between extraversion and Instagram addiction might be because Wang et al. (2015) reported an association between extraversion and addictive use of social media in general rather than being specific to Instagram addiction.”
From Instagram addiction and the Big Five of personality: The mediating role of self-liking (2018) · cites this paper as Wang et al. (2015)
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References 39 · Cited by 314
- Authors
- Wang, C.-W., Ho, R. T. H., Chan, C. L. W., & Tse, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Chong-Wen
- Venue
- Addictive Behaviors
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-03
- Volume
- 42
- Pages
- 32-35
- ISSN
- 0306-4603 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1995347209
- Semantic Scholar
- 65b7a3eac3ebd50f982da37a4b29125c45304a4d
- Cited by
- 314
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 12
- FWCI
- 64.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Addictive Behaviors (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- The HKU Scholars Hub (University of Hong Kong) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Keywords
- internet addiction, gaming addiction, social networking addiction, Big Five personality traits, neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, Chinese adolescents
- MeSH terms
- Neuroticism, Adolescent, Anxiety Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Extraversion, Psychological, Female, Hong Kong, Humans, Male, Personality, Personality Inventory, Regression Analysis, Multivariate Analysis, Behavior, Addictive, Video Games, Internet, Social Networking
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