Personality Predictors of IT Addiction
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Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences j 2018 Personality Predictors of IT Addiction Isaac Vaghefi1 Hamed Qahri-Saremi1* Binghamton University, State University of New DePaul University York, NY, USA Chicago, IL, USA [email protected] [email protected] Abstract of IT addiction [33, 39, 41], some other possibly Prior research on addiction has extensively looked important factors need more attention. One family of at the personality traits of individuals and their such factors is personality traits as potential antecedents interactions in explaining various types of substance of IT addiction, which is the focus of this study. and non-substance addictions. Recent studies have also Prior addiction literature has shown the salient role shown the importance of neuroticism, of personality on addiction. For instance, Miller [27] conscientiousness, and agreeableness on IT addiction. showed that certain personality types can predict Nevertheless, little is known in IS research regarding addiction and recovery of alcoholics. Additional the moderated effects of personality traits on the comparable studies [36, 48] suggest that individuals development of IT addiction. Given the increasing with certain personality traits may have more attention to the dark side of IT, in this study, we build on predisposition toward developing an addiction. Five-Factor personality model to propose a theoretical Moreover, prior addiction research has shown that the model that shows the direct and moderated effects of effect of each personality trait can possibly increase or neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness on decrease by other personality traits [37], suggesting a addiction to social networking sites (SNS). We complex interactions among personality traits and their empirically test our research model using data collected effects on the addiction. Given the ubiquity of IT use in from 275 SNS users and covariance-based structural personal life and work environment, it is critical that we equation modeling technique. Furthermore, we shed understand how personality traits may influence the light on the moderation effects of these factors on SNS usage patterns and the development of an addiction to addiction via two post-hoc analyses. The implications IT and the complexity of interactions among them. for theory and practice are discussed.1 Despite their importance, personality traits affecting IT addiction development have received minimal attention in the IS research. In particular, prior IS research has 1. Introduction largely overlooked the interaction effects among these factors and how they can influence their effects on It Research on the “dark side” of information systems addiction. (IS) use has been increasing during the last decade with The objective of this study is to fulfill this gap and numerous studies showing the negative consequences of extend the literature on IT addiction by shedding light maladaptive uses of IS. Defined as users’ maladaptive on key personality traits influencing IT addiction and dependency on the IT use that is associated with showing the complexity of interactions among these significant negative consequences on important life factors. To this end, we draw on the Five-Factor model activities for the users [19, 33, 38, 39, 42, 43], IT (FFM) to develop a research model that investigates the addiction is among the top concerns for both IS scholars role of neuroticism, conscientiousness, and and practitioners [43]. This is due to the ever-growing agreeableness along with their interactions on IT popularity of hedonic IT artifacts, such as social addiction. Our proposed research model was tested networking sites (SNS) and smartphone, and their using empirical data collected via two surveys from potentially negative consequences especially on SNS users. Our findings show that while neuroticism performance and productivity. While prior IS research has a positive effect on IT addiction, conscientiousness has explained the role and importance of some of the holds a negative effect. Furthermore, we find that the antecedents of addictive behaviors, such as maladaptive effect of conscientiousness and agreeableness on habits and perceptions, as important factors in formation 1. Authors’ contributions to this paper are equal. *. Corresponding Author: Hamed Qahri-Saremi ([email protected]). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10125/50546 Page 5274 ISBN: 978-0-9981331-1-9 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) addiction is moderated by neuroticism and predictors of IT addictions, in an attempt to understand conscientiousness, respectively. how to reduce or control IT addiction. For instance, These findings contribute to the emerging stream of prior research has highlighted the role of users’ research on the dark side of IT use by extending our motivations and needs, habit, self-regulation, perceived knowledge of the interaction effects among the enjoyment, prior use, or technology features in this personality traits and their influence on IT addiction. In regard [33, 39, 41]. this way, they provide a novel view toward better While the prior research findings have shed light on understanding the role of IT users and their personality some of the antecedents of IT addiction, little attention profiles vis-à-vis IT addiction. The findings will be has been devoted to the personality traits of the users helpful not just for researchers but also for the who tend to exhibit addictive technology use behaviors. practitioners (e.g. managers, policy makers) by An exception is a recent study [42] that identified providing a more holistic view of the personality types situational factors that trigger intense smartphone use that are more prone to addictive use of hedonic IT, and for addicts such as when bored, anxious, and emotional. highlighting that evaluation of a single personality may Nonetheless, these characteristics represent users’ not be helpful in predicting an addiction; rather, to temporary feelings and reactions to the environment, properly assess the likelihood of developing an IT rather than the stable personality traits, which are the addiction, they need to assess the personality profile of focus of our study. users and consider the possible interactions among the In contrary to such a trend in IS research, a various traits. significant body of research in general addiction literature has provided evidence showing that 2. IT Addiction and Personality personality traits of individuals can play a substantial role on formation and control of substance and behavioral addictions [7]. Looking at substance The topic of addiction has been the subject of addiction, several studies established the role of research for decades. The abundant research on this individuals’ differences among users who have a topic is due to the detrimental consequences that preference for various substances (e.g. see [9, 21]). addiction can impose on individuals suffering from this Extrapolating these findings to the context of IT behavioral problem. In common term, addiction is “a addiction, we contend that specific personality traits repetitive habit pattern that increases the risk of disease may be associated to IT addiction behaviors (e.g. and/or associated with personal and social smartphone, online games, or SNS addiction). To this problems…[which] are often experienced subjectively end, in this study, we aim to provide an overview of the as ‘loss of control’ [and] continues despite volitional key personality traits of users who show stronger attempts to abstain or moderate use” [22, p. 224]. The symptoms of IT addiction. Rather than arbitrarily term has mostly been referred to the maladaptive including all personality traits in this study, we follow a dependence on a substance or a behavior. For instance, theory-driven approach, and draw on the FFM [6] that people are known to develop addictions to eating, “theoretically capture[s] the essence of one’s shopping, gambling, drinking, smoking, working, and personality” [23, p. 810] along with the extant findings sexual behavior [38, 47]. Analogous to the behavioral 2 in psychology and addiction literatures to investigate the addiction, technology -related addictions have received effects of three personality traits on IT addiction, scholarly attention. For instance, Shotton’s classic study namely neuroticism, conscientiousness, and [31] focused on computer addiction of scientists and agreeableness. technicians, followed by other studies examining internet addiction (e.g. [11, 47]). In IS discipline, research on IT addiction has soared 3. Five-Factor Model (FFM) as new technologies (e.g. SNS and mobile devices) demand increasing time and attention from users [38]. FFM has been an influential framework for This is especially evident by recent statistics pointing to theoretically understanding human’s personality. The an alarming rate of technology use [1]. Similar to other model consists of five broad personality traits namely, behavioral addictions, IT addictions were bounded to neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, impose significant negative consequences such as openness to experience, and extraversion. Neuroticism reduced wellbeing and lower performance [41, 42]. refers to the extent to which a person experiences Hence, recently scholars have been trying to identify the negative emotions of stress, anxiety of depression. 2. It should be noted that not all technologies are equally utilitarian IT artifacts. In this study, our notion of technology addictive [45],