High intellect/imagination predicted digital aggression in lab and Twitter; low conscientiousness predicted digital aggression on Twitter and self-reports

A Multi-Method Investigation of the Personality Correlates of Digital Aggression. M. Kim, SL. Clark, MB. Donnellan, SA. Burt. Journal of Research in Personality, January 20 2020, 103923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2020.103923

Highlights
•    A multi-method investigation of the personality correlates of digital aggression.
•    The ‘Big 5’ differentially predicted all three digital aggression measures.
•    High intellect/imagination predicted digital aggression in lab and Twitter.
•    Low conscientiousness predicted digital aggression on Twitter and self-reports.
•    Personality predictors of digital aggression may be context-specific.

Abstract: Digital aggression (DA) refers to the use of computer-mediated technologies to harm others. A handful of previous studies have provided mixed results regarding the personality correlates of DA. We clarified these findings by analyzing the associations between three measures of DA (behavioral, Twitter, and self-report) and the Big Five traits using data from 1167 undergraduate participants. Big Five personality trait measures predicted all three DA measures, but results varied across particular assessments of DA. These results point to possible moderators and potentially important differences within the broader construct of DA.