The role of extraversion and neuroticism in influencing anxiety following computer-mediated interactions

With the increasing popularity of the internet, online interpersonal interactions have become a popular method of communication. The current study examined whether individuals with certain personality characteristics felt less anxious after communicating via computer-mediated communication (CMC) than after face-to-face (FtF). To examine this issue, 80 female participants (M age = 18.88, SD = 1.10) completed a personality assessment and then interacted with a confederate for 15 min either using CMC or FtF. After the interaction, participants’ current level of anxiety was assessed. Results indicated that participants tended to be less anxious after the CMC than after a FtF interaction. Subsequent analyses found that this effect was moderated by participants’ extraversion and neuroticism. Specifically, introverted and neurotic participants tended to be more anxious communicating FtF than communicating using CMC whereas extraverts and stable participants tended to experience low amounts of anxiety irrespective of the interaction type.