The Use and Abuse of Technology: The Relationship Between Personalities and Continuance Intention in Performing Internet Vigilantism Among Malaysians

Abstract

The opportunity to research Internet Vigilantism (IV) is timely due to its wide prevalence and the social concern that surrounds it. There is still a lack of comprehensive academic understanding of why users continue to condone IV. A significant number of studies suggested that the role of personalities has instigated such intentions. This was based on significant relationships found between different types of personality to their continuance intention of performing cyberbullying, a subsequent result of IV. This study reviewed literature in the respective areas and intends to identify the level of extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism personality among Malaysians and their continuance intention to perform IV. This study also hypothesized that there were significant relationships between extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism personality with continuance intention to perform IV. Data was collected from 247 Internet users in Malaysia and was analyzed with statistical analysis (SPSS) using mean, standard deviation, and regression analysis. It was found that Malaysians possessed mild neuroticism personality but strong psychoticism and extraversion personality. There were also significant relationships between extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism personality with continuance intention to perform IV among Malaysians. This study has contributed to the literatures of psychology works that correlate personality traits to online social behaviour.