Internet use, social skills, and adjustment

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Internet Addiction Research
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Understanding the psychological factors influencing internet usage is crucial in the digital age.
• Previous research has explored links between personality, social skills, and online behavior, but comprehensive analysis is ongoing.
• Emotional intelligence (EI) and its relationship with problematic internet use requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between inter-personal skills, personality, emotional intelligence (EI), and the extent of internet usage.
• To identify specific psychological correlates of high internet usage in an undergraduate population.
• To assess the predictive power of EI and personality traits on internet addiction.

Main Methods:

• A sample of undergraduates completed the Internet Addiction Scale to measure internet usage.
• Emotional intelligence (EI) was assessed using performance-based measures involving emotion recognition from facial expressions and social scenarios.
• The Big Five personality dimensions were also evaluated.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations were found between internet usage, loneliness, and adherence to idiosyncratic values.
• Weaker, yet significant, associations were observed between internet use, work-life balance, and emotional intelligence (EI).
• No significant relationship was identified between Big Five personality dimensions and the extent of internet usage.

Conclusions:

• Frequent internet users, particularly undergraduates, tend to report higher levels of loneliness and hold unconventional values.
• Lower emotional intelligence (EI) and a poorer work-leisure balance are associated with increased internet usage.
• Personality traits, as measured by the Big Five, do not appear to be a significant predictor of internet usage extent.