title: Computer playfulness, Internet dependency and their relationships with online activity types and student academic performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prior research on Internet dependency has examined various individual traits as contributing factors. Since domain-specific traits tend to have higher abilities to explain outcome variables, this study investigates a technology-related specific trait, i.e., computer playfulness, as a predictor of Internet dependency, and their influence on Internet usage patterns and academic performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 267 college students was surveyed to examine these relationships. In addition to demographic information, the questionnaire contained measurement scales to assess playfulness, Internet dependency as well as work/study-related and social-related uses of the Internet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey data indicate that playfulness significantly predicts Internet dependency (ΔR (2) = 19%). Playfulness is also significantly related to students' grade point average (p <.001), as well as Internet use for social purposes (p <.022), and its impacts are fully mediated by Internet dependency. It was also found that neither playfulness nor Internet dependency is significantly associated with Internet use for work/study purposes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Playfulness, as a domain-specific individual trait, is a powerful predictor of Internet dependency, which is positively related to social use of the Internet, and negatively related to student academic performance.
authors.forename: Ronnie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jia
keywords: Internet addiction; Internet dependency; computer playfulness; individual trait