The Relationship between Five Personality Traits and Happiness: The Mediating Role of Problematic Instagram Use

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

3 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University College of Omran_Toseeh, Hamedan, Iran

4 Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Pune University, Pune, India

5 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Arsanjan Azad University, Arsanjan, Iran

10.34172/ahj.1523

Abstract

Background: Personality plays a key role in many psychosocial variables. Happiness as a source of motivation can also play a 
major role in a society's individual and collective development. In this regard, the Instagram platform, as a popular platform among 
the Iranian population, has attracted a high level of engagement (and can make individuals happy), but it has been associated with 
the risk of behavioral addiction for a small minority. Therefore, the present study evaluated the relationship between personality 
traits and happiness with the mediating role of problematic Instagram use. 
Methods: The present study comprised an online survey among married individuals living in Tehran (N=418). The survey included 
the 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the 15-item Instagram Addiction Scale (IAS-15), and the six-item Short DepressionHappiness Scale (SDHS-6). 
Findings: The results indicated that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience had a significant 
negative relationship, and neuroticism had a significant positive relationship with problematic Instagram use. Moreover, 
conscientiousness and openness to experience had a significant positive relationship and neuroticism had a significant negative 
relationship with happiness. Problematic Instagram use also has a significant negative relationship with happiness. The results also 
showed that neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness were significantly associated with happiness and that problematic 
Instagram use mediated the relationship. 
Conclusion: Personality traits may facilitate or prevent problematic Instagram use. Moreover, addiction to social networks such as 
Instagram can affect the happiness of users and may lead to further psychosocial problems.

Keywords

References

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Addiction & Health
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