Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Faculty Publications Department of Computer Information Technology 2016 Differentiating cyberbullies and Internet trolls by personality characteristics and self-esteem Kathryn C. Seigfried-Spellar
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cit_articles Seigfried-Spellar, Kathryn C., "Differentiating cyberbullies and Internet trolls by personality characteristics and self-esteem" (2016). Faculty Publications. Paper 2. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cit_articles/2 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact
[email protected] for additional information. Differentiating Cyberbullies and Internet Trolls… JDFSL V11N3 DIFFERENTIATING CYBERBULLIES AND INTERNET TROLLS BY PERSONALITY CHARAACTERISTICS AND SELF-ESTEEM Lauren A. Zezzulka The University of Alabama Kathryn C. Seigfried-Spellar Purdue University
[email protected] (Corresponding Author) ABSTRACT Cyberbullying and internet trolling are both forms of online aggression or cyberharassment; however, research has yet to assess the prevalence of these behaviors in relationship to one another. In addition, the current study was the first to investigate whether individual differences and self-esteem discerned between self-reported cyberbullies and/or internet trolls (i.e., Never engaged in either, Cyberbully-only, Troll-only, Both Cyberbully and Troll). Of 308 respondents solicited from Mechanical Turk, 70 engaged in cyberbulllying behaviors, 20 engaged in only trolling behaviors, 129 self-reported both behaviors, and 89 self-reported neiither behavior. Results yielded low self-esteem, low conscientiousness, and low internal moral values for both cyberbullying and trolling behaviors. However, there were differentiating factors between individuals who only engaged in cyberbullying behaviors (high on neuroticiism) vs.