Android users were found to be more honest compared with iPhone users. The research, conducted in the United Kingdom, also linked the type of smartphone users with other series of descriptive demographic and psychographic criteria.
The research, published online in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, is the first one to link psychological traits to typologies of phone users, instead of just demographic criteria.
Smartphones And Psychological Profiles
As four in five adults in the UK own a smartphone, the market is split approximately 50/50 between Android and iOS. The study looked to find a correlation between personalities of the users and the phone types, revealing important characteristics of the key demographics interested in these types of products.
The methodology of the study was quantitative, and more than 500 volunteers were asked to complete a number of questionnaires about themselves, along with their attitudes and perceptions when it comes to their phones.
The research found that iPhone users are more likely to be younger, as well as twice more likely to be women, and see their phones as a status object instead of just a useful instrument. The iPhone segment was also found to be more extroverted, and less concerned about owning a device that most people like.
In contrast, Android users are more likely older males, found to be more honest and agreeable, as well as less likely to break rules just for personal purposes. Consequently, the representatives of the Android market were also found to be less interested in status and wealth than the consumers of the rival smartphone.
"In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that an individual's choice of smartphone operating system can provide useful clues when it comes to predicting their personality and other individual characteristics," noted Dr. David Ellis from Lancaster University.
The Influence Of Smartphones
Previous studies have found smartphone users in general to be less patient, as a result of the heavy usage of technology, also explaining that smartphone addiction could be a result of unmanaged impulses instead of a reward that comes from using them.
Another research suggests that the type of impulsiveness found in teens who are addicted to their smartphones, from the fear of missing out (FOMO) syndrome to the time they spend on their gadgets, is very similar to behaviors seen in gamblers. Consequently, this is all the more concerning for parents and medical specialists, as social media pressure can contribute to the overall unhappiness of children.
