Influence of personality on internet addiction disorder among cybercafe users.
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Date
2012
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Psychology,Obafemi Awolowo University
Abstract
The study ascertained the prevalence of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) among cyber café users, analysed the personality traits of the cyber café users and determined the influence of the Big Five Personality traits on IAD among cyber café users in the study area. It also assessed the socio-demographic characteristics of internet addicts.
The study used primary data. The multistage sampling procedure was used to select 1,005 cyber café users from the study area. Cyber cafés in or near campuses of tertiary institutions in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Iree and Ede were conveniently selected. The snowball sampling technique was then used to select the participants who were students of tertiary institution and a mixed bag of professionals such as Lawyers, Teachers, Doctors, Accountant/Banker, Civil Servant, Businessmen, Security agents, youth corps members, the unemployed and others. The age of the participants ranged between 17 – 52 years with a mean age of 28.77 years and a standard deviation of 8.37 years. Three instruments (one questionnaire and two standardized psychological scales) were used. The Bio data form (BDF) was used to collect information on the demographic characteristics of the participants. The Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were used respectively to elicit information on personality characteristics of the respondents and the degree to which internet use affects them. Data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.
The result showed that there were three categories of internet users which were:
Occasional users, frequent users and problem users. The results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in the mean ages of the three groups
(F{2,143}= 4.009, P <.05). It was revealed that the addicts were almost four years younger than those with moderate problems (24.33 years versus 27. 86 years, MD = 3. 53 years, P > .05) and six years younger than those with internet use problems (24.33years versus 30.81 years, MD = 6. 48 years, P <.05). This shows that the addicts were younger than the two other groups and that they are mostly young adults. The results also revealed that 15% of the cybercafe users sampled were already having problems, of excessive internet usage. It also showed that 30% of the problem users had only mild problems with internet use, 64% had moderate problems, while 6% had severe problems and can be described as internet addicts. The result also showed a significant influence of personality traits on Internet Addiction Disorder (F{4,1004} = 15. 49, P < .05) . The result also revealed a statistically main influences of extraversion (F {1.973} = 26.60, P <. 05), a statistically main influence of agreeable (x = 44.86, SЄ = 0.84; MD = 3.26, P<.05), and a statistically main influence of neurotic (x = 44. 77, SЄ = 0.75, MD = 3, 43, P<.05) on internet addiction disorder.
The study concluded that there is a link between four of the five personality types and internet addiction disorder.
Description
ix,110p
Keywords
Internet addiction disorder, Addiction, Cybercafe, Tertiary institution