Connecting personality traits to social networking site addiction: the mediating role of motives
Information Technology & People
ISSN: 0959-3845
Article publication date: 8 October 2019
Issue publication date: 9 March 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether four motives – conformity, enhancement, social and coping – mediate relationships between four personality types – agreeableness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness to experience – and social networking site (SNS) addiction. Impulse control is included as a moderator.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a survey to collect data at two points in time from 304 SNS users. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis.
Findings
Empirical results show that conformity, enhancement and coping motives act as mediators between various personality types and SNS addiction. Furthermore, impulse control weakens the effects of two motives – enhancement and social – on SNS addiction.
Research limitations/implications
The research model included only four motives. Future research could investigate other motivational mechanisms and moderators. The research method surveyed university students in the USA; thus, results may not generalize to a different user population. The method also included only one SNS, Facebook.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the literature by showing that motives of SNS use connect personality to SNS addiction. This study also shows that self-reflective factors like impulse control can reduce the positive effects of motives on SNS addiction.
Keywords
Citation
Chen, A. and Roberts, N. (2020), "Connecting personality traits to social networking site addiction: the mediating role of motives", Information Technology & People, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 633-656. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-01-2019-0025
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited