The relationship between dimensions of personality and Library Anxiety in graduate students

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Vernon, Nicola A. | Evans, M. Max | Frissen, Ilja^*

Affiliations: School of Information Studies, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Ilja Frissen, School of Information Studies, McGill University, 3661 Rue Peel, Montreal, QC, H3A 1X1, Canada. Tel.: +1 514 398 4684; Fax: +1 514 398 7193; E-mail:ilja.frissen@mcgill.ca

Abstract: Previous studies indicate that library anxiety is a phenomenon experienced by many university-level students that impedes successful information retrieval, thereby negatively impacting academic performance. This study examines the relationship between library anxiety and personality in graduate students at the master's level. Students from various disciplines in both research and course-based programs were administered the Library Anxiety Scale and the Big Five Inventory. A multiple linear regression was performed to predict library anxiety as a function of the five personality dimensions. The findings showed that Agreeableness and Conscientiousness together explained more than 35% of the variability, while neither Neuroticism nor Extraversion explained any of the variability.

Keywords: Library anxiety, personality, psychology, graduate students

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-160083

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 397-410, 2016