Internet Addiction: Personality Traits Associated with Its Development

by Dr. Kimberly S. Young and Robert C. Rodgers
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

Paper presented at the 69th annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association in April 1998.

ABSTRACT

This study investigated personality traits of those considered dependent users of the Internet utilizing the 16PF. Results showed that 259 cases of Dependents were classified based upon modified DSM-IV criteria for Pathological Gambling. Dependents ranked high in terms of self-reliance, emotional sensitivity and reactivity, vigilance, low self-disclosure, and non-conformist characteristics. This preliminary analysis discusses how such traits may act as triggers of addiction in order to fulfill an unmet psychological need through on-line stimulation.

INTRODUCTION

The Internet has been touted as a revolutionary technology among politicians, academicians, and businessmen. However, among a small but growing body of research, the term addiction has extended into the psychiatric lexicon that identifies problematic Internet use associated with significant social, psychological, and occupational impairment (Brenner, 1996; Egger, 1996; Griffiths, 1997; Morahan-Martin, 1997; Thompson, 1996; Scherer, 1997; Young, 1996a, Young, 1996b, Young 1997). Because the Internet is a highly promoted tool, detection and diagnosis of addiction is often difficult. Therefore, it is essential that the skilled clinician understand the characteristics which differentiate normal from pathological Internet use (PIU). Proper diagnosis is often complicated by the fact that there is currently no accepted set of criteria for addiction much less Internet addiction listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1995). Of all the diagnoses referenced in the DSM-IV, Pathological Gambling was viewed as most akin to the pathological nature of Internet use (Brenner, 1996; Young, 1996a). By using Pathological Gambling as a model, Young (1996a) defined PIU as an impulse-control disorder which does not involve an intoxicant. This research developed an eight-item questionnaire to use as a screening instrument for PIU which modified criteria for pathological gambling (see Appendix 1).

Participants in off-line and on-line surveys were considered "addicted" when answering "yes" to five (or more) of the questions and when their behavior could not be better accounted for by a Manic Episode. Young (1996a) stated that the cut off score of "five" was consistent with the number of criteria used for Pathological Gambling and was seen as an adequate number of criteria to differentiate normal from pathological addictive Internet use. It should be noted that while this scale provides a workable measure of Internet addiction, further study is needed to determine its construct validity and clinical utility. It should also note that a patient’s denial of addictive use is likely to be reinforced due to the encouraged practice of utilizing the Internet for academic or employment related tasks (Young, 1997b). Therefore, even if a patient meets all eight criteria, these symptoms can easily be masked as "I need this as part of my job," "Its just a machine," or "Everyone is using it" due to the Internet’s prominent role in our society.

Subsequent research on PIU which used on-line survey methods showed that self proclaimed "addicted" users often looked forward their next net session, felt nervous when off-line, lied about their on-line use, easily lost track of time, and felt the Internet caused problems in their jobs, finances, and socially (e.g., Brenner, 1996; Egger, 1996; Thompson, 1996). Two campus-wide surveys conducted at the University of Texas at Austin (Scherer, 1997) and Bryant College (Morahan-Martin, 1997) have further documented that pathological Internet use is problematic for academic performance and relationship functioning. Treatment centers have even initiated Computer/Internet Addiction Recovery Services such as at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Despite the increased awareness that PIU is a legitimate concern, little has been researched about the characteristics linked to "at risk" populations causing such a dependence upon the Internet (Loytsker & Aiello, 1997). These authors utilized a multiregression analysis and found that higher levels of boredom proneness, loneliness, social anxiety and private self consciousness all predict Internet addition as it was operationalized in their research. This present study attempted to expand this work to assess personality traits associated with incidence of PIU by utilizing the Sixteen Personality Factor Inventory (16PF). This investigation hopes to yield a further understanding of the personality dynamics associated with the development of PIU.

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