Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33011714›Full record

SynthesisJournal of behavioral addictions2020

The association between the Big Five personality traits and smartphone use disorder: A meta-analysis.

Davide Marengo, Cornelia Sindermann, Daniela Häckel, Michele Settanni, Jon D Elhai, Christian Montag

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of behavioral addictions, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
19.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 93 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. A Noisy Self Goes Online: Intraindividual Personality Variability and Self-Coherence in Digital Engagement.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2026
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  12. [Network analysis of the relationship between perfectionism traits and mobile phone dependence among Chinese university students].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Davide Marengo1Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7107-0810
Cornelia Sindermann2Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Daniela Häckel2Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Michele Settanni1Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
Jon D Elhai3Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
Christian Montag2Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8112-0837
Universität Ulm · DEUniversity of Toledo · USUniversity of Turin · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsPersonality is one of the most frequently investigated variables to shed light on the putatively addictive use of the smartphone. By investigating associations between personality and individual differences in addictive smartphone use, researchers aim to understand if some personality traits predispose technology users to develop addictive behaviors. Here, based on existing empirical literature, we aimed at determining the strength of associations between Big Five personality traits and smartphone use disorder (SmUD) by a meta-analytic approach.

methodFor each Big Five personality trait, we performed a meta-analysis of correlations representing their association with SmUD. We also investigated possible publication bias and the moderating effects of age, gender, nationality, length of personality assessments, and time of publication.

resultsWe found n = 26 eligible studies. In line with both the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model and the framework on problematic mobile-phone use by Billieux, we observed a positive association between Neuroticism and SmUD (r = 0.25), while the association between Extraversion and SmUD was not significant. Partially in line with the aforementioned theoretical frameworks, Conscientiousness was negatively associated with SmUD (r = -0.16). Remaining traits showed smaller associations. No significant publication bias emerged. Moderator analyses showed that time of publication moderated the link between Conscientiousness and SmUD. Moreover, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness showed a heightened inverse association with SmUD among older samples.

conclusionsThe present meta-analysis provides robust empirical evidence that Big Five personality traits can help to understand individual differences in SmUD, supporting the usefulness of their assessment when planning and targeting interventions aimed at at-risk individuals.

Indexed as

HumansInternet Addiction DisorderPersonalityBig Five traitsmeta-analysis, smartphone addiction, problematic smartphone usepersonalitysmartphone use disorder

Identifiers

PMID33011714
PMCPMC8943667
OpenAlexW3089553694

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.