Webster, Erin J (2023) Discovering the Troll Within: Exploring Online Trolling Behaviours in a Sample of Australian Emerging Adults. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
As we become more connected online, antisocial behaviours such as Internet trolling (i.e.,” trolling”) are more prevalent. Trolling research has included adolescents and broad adult samples, neglecting emerging adults. While previous trolling research has examined the predictive value of gender, the Dark Tetrad personality traits, and social rewards; daily internet use and temperance have not been explored. This study aimed to (1) examine the frequency and online platforms where trolling is occurring in a sample of Australian emerging adults aged 18-29, and (2) determine if gender (step one); psychopathy, sadism, and negative social potency (step two); and daily internet use and temperance (step three) predicted trolling. Data was collected using demographic questions, the Global Assessment of Internet Trolling, the Short Dark Triad, the Social Rewards Questionnaire, the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, and the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory. The sample comprised of 111 Australian emerging adults (55.9% female, 44.1% male), aged 18-29 (M = 23.27, SD = 3.631). Descriptive, correlational, and hierarchical regression analyses explored the research questions and hypothesis. Current results indicate that 35.1% of participants reported experienced trolling in the past year and 15.3% had trolled others. As expected, gender, sadism, psychopathy, negative social potency, daily internet use, and temperance explained 58.9% of the variance of trolling, with gender significant at step one and psychopathy and sadism identified as unique predictors in step two and three. Results from this study contribute to the understanding of trolling in a previously unresearched participant sample and differentiate predictors of trolling from previous research.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Jessica Marrington |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Aug 2025 01:43 |
| Last Modified: | 07 Aug 2025 01:43 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Online Trolling, Australian Emerging Adults, Psychopathy, Sadism, and Gender. |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52864 |
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