Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Online Gamers
Published on: November 9, 2019
[Problematic Internet use, time spent online and personality traits]
S Laconi1, A Andréoletti1, E Chauchard2
1Octogone, Centre d'études et de recherches en psychopathologie, université de Toulouse II-Le Mirail, pavillon de la recherche, bureau R31, 5, allées Antonio-Machado, 31058 Toulouse cedex, France.
Background:
Internet addiction or problematic Internet use is a recent and increasingly recognized disorder which has been consistently associated with many psychiatric disorders, adding to the documented negative consequences of problematic Internet use. However, very few studies have examined the relationship between problematic Internet use and personality traits and none in a French sample. Moreover, those which have evaluated this relationship have mainly been conducted on small samples.
Objective:
The main goal of our study was to explore the relationship between problematic Internet use, time spent online and personality traits in a French sample, taking into account the presence of depressive symptoms, and gender.
Methods:
A sample of 276 participants aged from 18 to 50 (M=28; SD=8.9) completed a questionnaire assessing problematic Internet use, time spent online, the presence of ten personality traits and depressive symptoms.
Results:
Our results revealed significant differences between genders. Among men, problematic Internet use was associated with personality clusters A and B while in women no cluster or personality traits were associated. Time spent online was predicted by schizoid personality traits among men and avoidant personality traits among women.
Discussion:
Our results indicate that cluster A (schizoid and schizotypal) and cluster B traits (borderline and antisocial) play a more important role in problematic Internet use than cluster C traits among men. Differences between men and women regarding the relationships between personality traits, time online and problematic Internet use may be related to differences in the activities engaged in by men and women online. We observed that communication websites use was more prevalent among women while erotic, gambling and shopping websites use was more prevalent among men suggesting that the characteristics of problematic Internet use may vary according to gender.
Conclusion:
Few studies have examined the relationship between problematic Internet use, time spent online and personality traits, and none among a French sample. These results suggest the importance of assessing the impact of personality traits on Internet use, particularly on time spent online, by differentiating results in terms of gender and online activities.
Related Concept Videos
Social Foundations of Self IV: Self in Digital Communication
Dark Triad and Person Perception
Self-Report Tests of Personality
Factors Influencing Attraction VI: Personality Traits
Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive
Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent personality disorder is characterized by an excessive reliance on others to manage various aspects of life. Individuals with this disorder often struggle...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

