Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of Personality

Background: As a device with multiple functions, a smartphone become more and more relevant in everyday life. However, this goes along with an increase in reports about smartphone addiction and its unwanted consequences. One of the most important variables in the etiopathogenesis of addictive smartp...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Christiane Eichenberg, Markus Schott, Athina Schroiff
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599241/full
_version_ 1818664761025363968
author Christiane Eichenberg
Markus Schott
Athina Schroiff
author_facet Christiane Eichenberg
Markus Schott
Athina Schroiff
author_sort Christiane Eichenberg
collection DOAJ
description Background: As a device with multiple functions, a smartphone become more and more relevant in everyday life. However, this goes along with an increase in reports about smartphone addiction and its unwanted consequences. One of the most important variables in the etiopathogenesis of addictive smartphone use is personality.Objective: This study aimed to investigate predictors of problematic smartphone use. Clinically relevant differences in personality, psychopathology, and social support between students with and without problematic smartphone use were investigated.Method: All currently enrolled students at the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna (N = 1,836) were surveyed. Response rate was 27.07% (N = 497, age: M = 19.6, SD = 8.04). The Smartphone Addiction Scale (SPAS), the 10-Item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), and a questionnaire on social support (F-SozU-K-14) were used.Results: A total of 75 students (15.1% of the total sample) showed problematic smartphone use. In terms of personality, respondents with problematic smartphone use showed significantly higher values for extraversion and neuroticism compared than non-addicted users. Students with problematic smartphone use showed significantly higher levels in terms of depression and anxiety. Contrary to expectations, individuals with problematic smartphone use showed significantly higher values for perceived social support than with individuals without problematic smartphone use.Discussion: Therapy for problematic smartphone use should be carried out taking into account discussed, important etiological factors, such as personality.
first_indexed 2024-12-17T05:37:52Z
format Article
id doaj.art-29f67a04916b4acca8e5d806cd8f9cb1
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-0640
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-17T05:37:52Z
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Psychiatry
spelling doaj.art-29f67a04916b4acca8e5d806cd8f9cb12022-12-21T22:01:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402021-01-011110.3389/fpsyt.2020.599241599241Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of PersonalityChristiane Eichenberg0Markus Schott1Athina Schroiff2Fakultät für Medizin, Sigmund Freud PrivatUniversität Wien, Wien, AustriaTechnische Universität München, München, GermanyFakultät für Psychologie, Sigmund Freud PrivatUniversität Wien, Wien, AustriaBackground: As a device with multiple functions, a smartphone become more and more relevant in everyday life. However, this goes along with an increase in reports about smartphone addiction and its unwanted consequences. One of the most important variables in the etiopathogenesis of addictive smartphone use is personality.Objective: This study aimed to investigate predictors of problematic smartphone use. Clinically relevant differences in personality, psychopathology, and social support between students with and without problematic smartphone use were investigated.Method: All currently enrolled students at the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna (N = 1,836) were surveyed. Response rate was 27.07% (N = 497, age: M = 19.6, SD = 8.04). The Smartphone Addiction Scale (SPAS), the 10-Item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), and a questionnaire on social support (F-SozU-K-14) were used.Results: A total of 75 students (15.1% of the total sample) showed problematic smartphone use. In terms of personality, respondents with problematic smartphone use showed significantly higher values for extraversion and neuroticism compared than non-addicted users. Students with problematic smartphone use showed significantly higher levels in terms of depression and anxiety. Contrary to expectations, individuals with problematic smartphone use showed significantly higher values for perceived social support than with individuals without problematic smartphone use.Discussion: Therapy for problematic smartphone use should be carried out taking into account discussed, important etiological factors, such as personality.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599241/fullsmartphoneinternetaddictionpersonalityonline
spellingShingle Christiane Eichenberg
Markus Schott
Athina Schroiff
Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of Personality
Frontiers in Psychiatry
smartphone
internet
addiction
personality
online
title Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of Personality
title_full Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of Personality
title_fullStr Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of Personality
title_full_unstemmed Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of Personality
title_short Problematic Smartphone Use—Comparison of Students With and Without Problematic Smartphone Use in Light of Personality
title_sort problematic smartphone use comparison of students with and without problematic smartphone use in light of personality
topic smartphone
internet
addiction
personality
online
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.599241/full
work_keys_str_mv AT christianeeichenberg problematicsmartphoneusecomparisonofstudentswithandwithoutproblematicsmartphoneuseinlightofpersonality
AT markusschott problematicsmartphoneusecomparisonofstudentswithandwithoutproblematicsmartphoneuseinlightofpersonality
AT athinaschroiff problematicsmartphoneusecomparisonofstudentswithandwithoutproblematicsmartphoneuseinlightofpersonality