Big Five Traits and Facets, Internet Gaming Disorder, and Social Media Addiction

BACKGROUND: While many studies have examined the relationships between the Big Five traits, and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Social Media Addiction (SMA), limited studies have considered the Big Five facets (i.e., narrowly defined traits). AIMS: The current study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the relationships between the Big Five traits and facets, and IGD and SMA among adults in the general population. METHOD: = 8.38). They completed instruments that assess the Big Five traits and facets, IGD, and SMA. RESULTS: At the trait level, the results showed that conscientiousness and negative emotionality were protective and risk factors for IGD and SMA, respectively. Furthermore, agreeableness was a protective factor for IGD whereas extraversion was a risk factor for SMA. At the facet level, trust, respectfulness, and responsibility were protective factors for IGD whereas emotional volatility and depression were the main risk factors for SMA. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlighted the advantages of using facets as predictors and have implications for both research and clinical practice. Limitations include the unreliability of two facets and the cross-sectional design of the study. Future research directions include using better instruments to assess the Big Five traits and facets and conducting longitudinal studies to assess the direction of causality.