Effect of personality type on internet anxiety in Kerman Dental School students (2015-2016)

Abstract

Introduction and objective: in recent years internet has turned to be one of the most popular global medias due to its unique qualities such as easy accessibility, utilization convenience, users’ obscurity and low cost. This study targets at examining the personality types’ effects on internet anxiety in students of dental faculty in Medical University of Kerman.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 235 dental students who were selected through census sampling method. Data collecting tools consisted of standard internet anxiety questionnaire (including 20 items), personality type’s questionnaire (including 25 items), demographic characteristics (age, sex, entrance year) and also eight related questions via internet. The collected data were entered the computer and analyzed via SPSS statistics software version 18 and linear regression statistics test and t at the significance level of 5%.

Findings: From 235 participant students in this study 141 (66.0 %) were females and the rest were males and the average of their age was 23.85 ± 5.36. the mean score of internet anxiety was 54.01 ± 8.39. According to anxiety intensity, 57 (24.3%) persons were in normal range, 176 persons (74.9%) were in mild anxiety range and 2 persons (0.8%) had sever anxiety levels. 

There were a significant correlation between the mean score of internet anxiety and year of education and hours spent using internet (p=0.028, p=0.017). There was significant correlation between personality type and internet anxiety as well (p= 0.016).

Conclusion: Based on this study internet anxiety was lower than moderate in dental school students and type A students who have characteristics like fast and quick, nervous and hottempered, biased life style, anxious, impatient and being competitive had more anxiety.

Keywords: internet, dental student, Kerman, Personality type, anxiety