Ashley Hall / Psychology / Faculty Mentor: Angela Liegey Dougall
Smartphones are deeply integrated into daily life, yet factors driving application usage remain underexplored. While prior research has linked personality traits to specific applications (e.g., Facebook), there has been limited research exploring the impact of personality on overall category usage. The present study examined HEXACO personality traits as predictors of smartphone application use across categories. Hierarchical multiple regressions analyzed data from 461 participants (ages 17–65, M = 19), using the 24-Item Brief HEXACO Inventory and a modified Facebook Intensity Scale. Demographic covariates accounted for 3.1–15.5% of variance in application usage, while personality traits significantly strengthened variance by 2.1–6.5%. Honesty-humility predicted lower total smartphone use and social media use and higher work/education app use. Emotionality and conscientiousness predicted higher work/education engagement, while extraversion was linked to higher texting/calling and lower gaming use. Agreeableness predicted lower entertainment application use, and openness to experience predicted higher gaming. Findings underscore personality’s role in shaping smartphone application engagement beyond demographics alone, suggesting potential for personality-targeted interventions to foster healthier digital habits.
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