HPS307 Lab Report: Problematic Smartphone Use and Personality Traits

This lab report, submitted for HPS307, investigates the correlation between problematic smartphone use and various personality traits. The study collected data from a sample of 1079 participants, analyzing their smartphone usage habits and personality characteristics using the Myers-Briggs form indicator and communication style inventory. The report explores how traits such as emotionality, expressiveness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience influence the likelihood of smartphone addiction. Findings indicate positive correlations between problematic smartphone use and emotionality, and impression manipulativeness, while negative correlations were found with expressiveness, preciseness, and questioningness. The research also reviews existing literature on personality, including the Big Five traits, and their relationship to technology use, offering insights into the psychological factors underlying smartphone addiction. The report also contains an abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, and results analysis.

Running head: PROBLEMATIC SMARTPHONE USE AND PERSONALITY TRAITS 1
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1. Related to the topic, and a short abstract.
2. Focus on hypothesized variables and those results.
3. Draw from the study and indicate the aim of the research here.
4. Focus on two key factors and discuss their results in relation to previous research. Similarities and
differences.
5. Discuss findings in relation to previous research and utilise the required readings
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PROBLEMATIC SMARTPHONE USE AND PERSONALITY TRAITS 2
Smartphone Usage and Personality Traits
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Abstract
The use of intelligent technology has increased dramatically in studies and therapy in recent
years. In real-time information collection and dissemination of internet therapy programs are regularly
used with smartphones and other mobile internet enabled equipment. Intelligent devices have
demonstrated great success in providing individuals with mental health issues with applications and
programs that promote attention, professional support, peer networks and "bite-size" therapeutic videos.
In this sense, intelligent technology can affect well-being positively. So, the issue is here. What are the
possibilities for explaining a increasing trend in smartphone problems? One way to address the issue is to
look at wide personality variables and limited features to see how personality and behaviors relate to the
use of problem-sensitive smartphones. We can also examine research in associated fields, including
studies on behavioral addiction. To study this problem in more detail, we will examine whether the
characteristics that underlie our communication (e.g. emotionality, impression manipulation) are linked to
the problem of smartphone use. Behaviors such as addiction can emerge, including tolerance,
withdrawal and cravings. The addiction to smartphones has been related to decrease in social
functioning, productivity, wellbeing and positive affect. The study collected data related to
smartphone usage from a group of 1079 participants. Out of these 197 were women, 877 were
men, 3 people represented others while 2 people preferred not to disclose their gender identity
during the study.aPeople who have structuredness, substantiveness, talkativeness, thoughtfulness,
authoritarian conversational dominance, questioningness, preciseness, and expressiveness, charm
and unconventionality are less likely to be highly addictive to smartphone use. However those
having traits such as worrisomeness, sentimentality, philosophicalness, tension, defensiveness,
inscrutableness, informality, non-supportiveness, derogatoriness, humour, ingratiation, angriness,
conciseness, argumentativeness, inquisitiveness, and concealingness, emotionality, impression

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manipulativeness and verbal aggressiveness have a high likelihood of getting addicted to
smartphone use.

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Introduction
Over the recent years, smart technology usage in therapy and research has increased
significantly. Smartphones and other related internet-enabled devices are used routinely in real-
time collection of data and online therapeutic program dissemination. The smart devices have
proved to be highly successful in the support of people who have mental health concerns with
programs and apps that have been designed to support peer and professional networks, encourage
mindfulness and the ‘bite size’ videos related to therapy (De Vries, Bakker-Pieper, Konings, &
Schouten, 2013). In this case, smartphone technologies may have a positive effect on wellbeing.
However, over the past decade a completely novel social and individual issue has emerged,
known as problematic smartphone use. Other terms used for this issue include smartphone
addiction, screen addiction or internet addiction. The easy access to online world and social
media continues to be a normal and ubiquitous part of life. However, people’s consumption of
the internet based media is not near what may be considered normal. For instance, in Australia
relevant data on the issue indicates that; approximately 88 per cent of the citizens own
smartphones (Horwood, & Anglim, 2018). Approximately 94 per cent of the Australian
adolescents own smartphones. Currently, the Australian households have over 9 devices on
average, which are internet-connected (Goldberg, et al. 2006). Approximately 35 per cent of the
Australians check their phones within five minutes in the morning after waking up while 70 per
cent of Australian people use their phones during the meal times with friends and family (Hunter,
et al. 2017). By average, the Australians normally check their smartphones for 35 minutes every
day (Horwood, & Anglim, 2018). This paper seeks to evaluate the connection between
problematic smartphone usage and personality traits.

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Research Question
At the moment, people are living in a world of screen users. However, the excessive use
of screens has become problematic to some people. Behaviors such as addiction can emerge,
including tolerance, withdrawal and cravings. The addiction to smartphones has been related to
decrease in social functioning, productivity, wellbeing and positive affect (Lee, & Ashton, 2004).
For the case, of adolescents, the potential effects of screen addiction such as social skills
development, neurological development and formation of intimate relationship may not be
known for several years in future. Living amidst a social paradigm that is completely new, one
way for approaching the issue involves looking broadly at personality factors such as
neuroticism and narrow personality traits such as the communication style (Kwon, et al. 2013).
This process helps to see whether there is any relationship between behaviors associated with
smartphone addiction and personality. This process would thus help to understand why different
people have varied tendencies of addiction to smartphone usage and how to deal with the impact.
Literature review
Personality involves stable set of tendencies and characteristics that determine the
differences and commonalities in feelings, actions and thoughts among people. Various
individual traits exist but most research has focused on the big five personality traits such as
conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience and agreeableness
(Samaha, & Hawi, 2016). The characteristics theoretically capture the essence of the character of
an individual. Studieshave shown that these factors form the most parsimonious and
comprehensive personality model. They also form the taxonomy that is quite useful in
personality studies. The model has also been considered to be the best model among researchers

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who wish to represent the personality variable domain in a systematic and broad manner.
Studies also confirm the model as being a better predictor among the personality indicators for
issues related to technology compared to the Myers-Briggs form indicator (Haug, et al. 2015).
Concerning agreeableness, it has been noted out that the people who score better inn this
trait are forgiving, good natured, cooperative and sympathetic. They support others and expect
such type of support in return. Agreeableness has also been defined as an interpersonal
orientation of compassion that is related to being considerate, kind, cooperative, helpful and
likable (Lin, et al. 2014). It is confirmed that people who are agreeable perform better in jobs that
require interpersonal teamwork and interaction that is considerable. The factor is positively
related to beliefs concerning the perceived technology usefulness. During the examination of
technology usage among the young people, it is noted that those individuals who are more
agreeable spend much of their time making calls (Bian, & Leung, 2015). However, their
disagreeable counterparts who have lower self-esteem have a more likelihood of spending their
time making instant messages and are said to have addictive tendencies to instant messages that
are stronger (Horwood and Anglim, 2018). It was also notable that people with lower levels of
agreeableness had a more likelihood of using the smartphones for playing games.
Regarding conscientiousness, the hallmark for this personality trait includes self-control
that is reflected in the need for order, persistence and achievement the conscientious people are
known for being active in planning, organizing and carrying out their tasks (Kim, Lee, Y. Lee, J.,
Nam, & Chung, 2014). They have a strong will, are reliable and deliberate besides being more
likely to consider ways in a careful manner. This means that they carefully consider ways of
using technology that enable them to increase efficiency and performance of higher work levels.
It is notable that conscientiousness works at moderating the connection between the perceived

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technology usefulness and the intention of using technology. This means that the relationship
was stronger among the individuals having higher conscientiousness.
Regarding extraverts, such people are described as being gregarious, ambitious and
sociable. They have high levels of optimism and normally seek new forms of excitement and
opportunities. The highly extravert group are outgoing, active and social. They normally place
high value on warm and close interpersonal relationships (Lin, et al. 2015). The personalities
who are highly extraverted are high performers in their jobs, particularly those having a social
component like in sales and management cases. Extraversion has been associated with high level
of effectiveness in team settings that have greater proficiency in training. People who are high in
their extraversion have a natural inclination towards caring about their personal images and other
consequences of social behavior are thus have a more likelihood of forming intentions to act
following how they perceive about the opinions from significant others (Mok, et al. 2014). It is
said that the desire towards gaining social status forms one of the most critical motivations
among people as they decide to adopt any innovations. Extraversion moderates the connection
between the intention of using technology and subjective norms and the relationship is stronger
among people with higher levels of extraversion. People who are extraverted have been found
to spend much of their times texting. Neuroticism has also been studied concerning how it relates
with smartphone usage. The neurotic people are paranoid, self-conscious and anxious. The
people who are highly neurotic are sad, fearful, distrustful, paranoid and embarrassed and have
challenges in stress management. Empirical studies suggest that neuroticism has a negative
association with various constructive work behavior elements such as job performance,
perceived career success, job satisfaction, and voice behavior (Lee, Chang, & Cheng, 2014). The
voice behavior involves the tendency of offering constructive communication that is oriented to

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make a change so as to improve situations. The neurotic people have a more likelihood of
viewing advances in technology stressful and threatening especially those in the work areas.
They generally experience negative thought processes as they consider these technological
advances. Such people take most of their time text messaging. Thus, they reported very strong
addictive tendencies for smartphones.
Openness towards experience is another personality trait related with smartphone usage.
The people with very high scores in openness show flexibility in tolerance and thought for new
ideas. These people actively seek out varied and new experiences alongside value change. They
tend to formulate novel ideas, question authority willingly and hold to unconventional values.
Openness has been consistently associated with engaging in training proficiency and learning
experience (Hussain, Griffiths, & Sheffield, 2017). People who have high levels of openness
have a more likelihood of holding positive cognitions and attitudes towards the acceptance of
technologies related to their jobs in part due to their having a predisposition to welcome new
work approaches. These people are not threatened by change that is implied through technology
adoption. Thus, they tend to have high addictive tendencies towards smartphone usage.
Methodology
The study collected data related to smartphone usage from a group of 1079 participants.
Out of these 197 were women, 877 were men, 3 people represented others while 2 people
preferred not to disclose their gender identity during the study. The various personality traits
among the individuals were analyzed using the Myers-Briggs form indicator.

PROBLEMATIC SMARTPHONE USE AND PERSONALITY TRAITS 10
Materials
The study involved the use of various questionnaires; the communication style inventory
questionnaire was also used. This has 96 items divided among the six domain scales such as
expressiveness, verbal aggressiveness, preciseness, emotionality, questioningness, and
impression manipulativeness. The answers to the items include completely disagree=1 to
completely agree=5. The other questionnaire used included the adolescent preoccupation having
screens scale. It had 21 items scored on Likert scale ranging from never=1 to always=5. The
word ‘screens’ was interchanged with smartphones.
Results

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Result analysis
A total of 24 variables under the personality traits were analyzed in relation to how they
associated with problematic smartphone usage. From the first matrix, problematic phone use
(PSU) had a positive correlation with emotionality of p=0.348, negatively correlated with
expressiveness as p=-0.076, positively correlated with impression manipulativeness as p=0.315,
negatively correlated with preciseness as p=-296, negatively correlated with questioningness as
p=-0.073 and positively correlated with verbal aggressiveness asp=0.282. From the second
matrix, PSU correlated negatively with structuredness, substantiveness, talkativeness,
thoughtfulness, authoritarian conversational dominance, charm and unconventionality such as

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p=-0.030, p=-0.044, p=-0.084, p=-0.161, p=-0.127, p=-0.041, p=-0.147 and p=-0.007
respectively. PSU correlated positively with worrisomeness, sentimentality, philosophicalness,
tension, defensiveness, inscrutableness, informality, non-supportiveness, derogatoriness,
humour, ingratiation, angriness, conciseness, argumentativeness, inquisitiveness, and
consealingness, such as p=0.014, p=0.026, p=0.370, p=0.305, p=0.191, p=0.317, p=0.212,
p=0.076, p=0.007, p=0.265, p=0.344, p=0.115, p=0.044, p=0.008, p=0.569, and p=0.310.
Discussion
One of the main aims of this research is to understand the main theoretical methods used to
explain coherent behavioral patterns. This is essential because these theories are the basis of significant
methods for treating clients in clinical and health situations and are relevant to understanding behavior in
other environments such as organizations. Application of this research's result to fix realistic issues, one
can apply these theories, is an another aspect of this research. It is essential to know how to use
theoretical frameworks in such a manner that you can gain insight into behaviours, which you might want
to change. This research aims to develop my abilities to analyze and communicate. This research will
help to understand how inventories of personalities are used for personality evaluation. Like almost all
buildings we study in psychology, personality is not an objective measurement of physical "thing."
Therefore we make scales that are tested on large populations and hopeful that we are fairly confident that
they measure what we do not believe they measure in order to try to measure something we can not see.
Understanding the psychometric qualities of various scales, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the
scale of your application in clinical or research design, is an significant element. These statistical
findings suggest that most people show signs related to smartphone dependence. The negative
impact of smartphone usage has been studied for more than ten years. Studies show that
dependency may be due to the immediate reward factors that come with checking smartphones.

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This process has been referred to as ‘check habit’ which involves individuals being prone to
having a compulsive urge of checking updates in their smartphones. From the results it was
notable that PSU correlated negatively with The more sentimental and verbal agressiveness one
scored, the greater the probability that one would be smartphone addicted (Bian and Leung,
2014). This research also indicate significant predictors of smartphone problem were spent on
smartphone time, consciousness, mental stability, openness and age. The adverse forecast
showed that a reduced consciousness, less openness, reduced emotional stability and a smaller
age predict the problematic use of smartphones (Hussain, Griffiths, Sheffield, 2017). Limitations
of this study are: participants of thi research are more women than men. This makes the results
gender-biased. The future research requires topics in equal measure and the other traits must be
targeted.
Conclusion
The research indicates that problematic or addictive smartphone usage has various
effects on the user. The effect is based on the various personality traits that different people
possess. These traits determine the level of addiction to screens of smartphone usage based on
the time one takes when using it. Additionally, excessive use of smartphones has become
problematic to some people. Behaviors such as addiction can emerge, including tolerance,
withdrawal and cravings. The addiction to smartphones has been related to decreases in social
functioning, productivity, wellbeing and positive affect. People who have structuredness,
substantiveness, talkativeness, thoughtfulness, authoritarian conversational dominance,
questioningness, preciseness, and expressiveness, charm and unconventionality are less likely to

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be highly addictive to smartphone use. In this case, such people have less chances of being
impacted by the issues that come with smartphone addiction. However those having traits such
as worrisomeness, sentimentality, philosophicalness, tension, defensiveness, inscrutableness,
informality, non-supportiveness, derogatoriness, humour, ingratiation, angriness, conciseness,
argumentativeness, inquisitiveness, and concealingness, emotionality, impression
manipulativeness and verbal aggressiveness have a high likelihood of getting addicted to
smartphone use. Such individuals will have higher chances of being affected by the negative
outcomes related to smartphone use.
Based on the study it can be suggested that smartphone usage is becoming a necessity among
individuals and their lives with more than 4.23 billion smartphones being in use all over the
world. Research done on 1097 users of smartphones, reports that more than 60% of the users
cannot spend an hour without having a check on their smartphones. More than 54% claim to use
their smartphones as they slept, as 39% check their smartphones in their bathroom while 30%
check as they take their meals with close people in their lives (Hussain, Griffiths, & Sheffield,
2017).Further research needs to have gender equal subject and target the other traits.

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Appendices
Appendix 1: matrix 2 key