The relationship between personality traits and academic performance with internet addiction among secondary school boy students

An investigation to the predisposing factors resulting in addictive use of internet among students for eliminating such behavior and its consequences seems highly important. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between personality traits and academic performance and internet addiction of high school second period students in Bijar, Iran.

The method of the study was correlational descriptive. The statistical population of the study was all male students of high school second period in Bijar in 1397-98 academic year (2018-19). The sample of the study included 310 participants selected through random cluster sampling. Young Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI), and students’ average as the criterion for academic performance were all used for data collection.

There was a positive and significant relationship between neuroticism and internet addiction (r=0.29, P<0.01), a negative and significant relationship between extraversion and internet addiction (r=-0.24, P<0.01), a negative and significant relationship between agreeableness and internet addiction (r=-0.24, P<0.01), and a negative and significant relationship between consciousness and internet addiction (r=-0.41, P<0.01). The findings also indicated that there was a negative and significant relationship between academic performance and internet addiction (R=-0.12, P<0.05). Also conscientiousness (P = 0.01, β = -0.40) in negative and neuroticism (P <0.01, β = 0.16) were able to predict Internet addiction positively.

Personality traits of students and their weak academic performance play a role in addictive behaviors such as internet addiction.