How Big Five Personality Traits affect Information and Communication Technology Use: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This study performed a meta-analysis of forty-eight studies to synthesize existing literature examining the relationship between ‘Big Five’ personality traits and the use of various Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). We conducted sub-group analysis to investigate the potential moderators on the relationship between personality and ICT use. The results largely reveal that the ‘Big Five’ personality traits are significantly associated with the use of various ICTs. Specifically, ‘extroversion’ showed the strongest association with social networking, along with business and commerce-based ICTs, while ‘openness’ had the highest correlations with career and education, and information-based ICTs. The results also identified technology type, region of the country, and voluntariness as potential moderators. This paper offers theoretical and practical implications that researchers could embrace in enhancing understanding of traits-technology fit, and technology providers in improving crafting, marketing, and delivering technology at the individual, organizational, national, and global levels.