Predisposed Personalities
"...Individuals who displayed negative coping responses to faulty technology also scored higher in neuroticism and extraversion."
In a study out of De Montfort University, researchers discovered that certain personalities are predisposed to IA. The study tested 630 participants (an equal number of male and female subjects) using an online questionnaire. Researchers compared their responses to technological failures (slow network, software crashes, malware interventions, etc.) to their BIG-5 personality scores (extroversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism). They correctly hypothesized that "individuals who spend a great deal of time engaged in activities that have digital technology as a critical component, particularly in terms of social networking or as a connection to the outside world, are more likely exhibit [sic] a greater dependency on such technology" (Hadlington 12). The results of the study showed a correlation between IA and maladaptive responses to technology failures. The individuals who displayed negative coping responses to faulty technology also scored higher in neuroticism and extraversion. By comparison, individuals with high scores in the other personality traits were less likely to become frustrated by technology failures. Participants who displayed IA signs were more likely to become frustrated because the inability to connect to their online platforms prevented them from satisfying their social needs (10). This finding suggests that online social media negatively reinforce IA by satisfying one's primal need for community and belonging.