Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY, cilt.45, sa.2, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
Social media has revolutionized our communication ability, bridging geographical boundaries, time differences, and language barriers to facilitate interactions of all kinds. The term "sofalizing" has emerged in response to the growing prevalence of online social media platforms, referring to people interacting with others electronically rather than meeting in person. Exploring the role of personality traits in individuals' proclivities towards online socializing is an under-examined research area, and the Five-Factor Model may provide insight into people's motivations for connecting through virtual environments. Thus, this study used explanatory sequential mixed-method research to examine the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and sofalizing behavior among 475 young Filipino adults aged 18 to 24. The quantitative phase one was a predictive, cross-sectional design, while the qualitative phase two took a phenomenological approach to elicit a deeper understanding of the research problem. Results of the quantitative phase show that neuroticism and openness to experience traits are positively associated, while extraversion is negatively related to sofalizing behavior. As such, Filipino young adults whose personality profiles are more neurotic, introverted, and open to experience would likely sofalize. Our phenomenological inquiry further supported these results with key themes: neuroticism (impact on social connectivity, withdrawal and online presence, online adaptation to stress and anxiety); introversion (comfort in online socialization, emotional responses to socialization, regulation and management of social engagement, social connection and integration); openness to experience (digital exploration driven, dynamics of online social preferences, engagement with content and community).