Introverted IT students are more likely to indulge in 鈥渄eviant鈥� computer activity, according to a new study.
The result might seem unsurprising, given the stereotypical image of computer geeks as socially inadequate. But the study contradicts previous research that found computer misuse is more common among extroverts.
The new work was carried out by computer scientists Marcus Rogers and Kirti Tidke from Purdue University in Indiana, US, and psychologist Kathryn Seigfried from John Jay College in New York, US.
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The researchers surveyed 77 computer science students at Purdue University using an anonymous, web-based questionnaire. Students were asked whether they had indulged in one of several 鈥渄eviant鈥� computer acts, some of which could be classified as illegal.
These activities were guessing or using another person鈥檚 password, reading or changing someone else鈥檚 files, writing or using a computer virus, obtaining credit card numbers and 鈥渦sing a device to obtain free phone calls鈥�.
Introversion scale
The number of IT students who admitted to such behaviour was high. 鈥淥f 77 students, 68 admitted to engaging in an activity that could be classified as deviant,鈥� Rogers told 快猫短视频. And those who admitted to having indulged in such behaviour also appeared to be markedly more introverted than those who had not. On average, these 鈥渄eviant鈥� students rated themselves 10 percentage points higher on an 鈥渋ntroversion scale鈥�.
As the study is small, Rogers cautions against rushing to conclusions. 鈥淲hile the media has portrayed those individuals who are involved in criminal computer behaviour as being socially underdeveloped and introverted, this study does not provide an endorsement for such a sweeping generalisation,鈥� he and colleagues write in the journal Digital Investigation.
The study also contradicts the results of an earlier investigation, also carried out by Rogers and colleagues. In 2003, they surveyed arts students at the University of Manitoba, Canada, and found that those who admitted to criminal, or 鈥渄eviant鈥�, computer behaviour were generally more extroverted.
Rogers speculates that the 鈥渄ifferent focuses鈥� among arts and IT students may explain the contrasting results, with art students possibly more extrovert than the IT crowd.
Drive and ambition
Jon Munsey, an investigator with computer forensics company DataSec, based in Oxford, UK, believes introversion could be linked to particular forms of computer misuse.
鈥淚n my experience, the cyber-criminal working from inside their home is indeed an introvert with few friends, who spends a lot of time on their computer,鈥� he told 快猫短视频. 鈥淏ut for cyber-crime within companies it鈥檚 the opposite. People who stand to gain a lot monetarily need a lot of drive, ambition and basically a lot of front to get away with it.鈥�
But Louise Potter, a spokeswoman for the UK IT security firm Information Risk Management says broader research is needed before behavioural profiling could be help investigators track down criminals. 鈥淟ooking at small numbers of IT students is too limiting,鈥� she says.
Aside from arguments over extroversion and introversion, Rogers says he is surprised by the fact that 88% of the computer science students admitted to deviant behaviour. 鈥淲e should be concerned at this prevalence rate,鈥� he says.
Journal reference: Digital Investigation (vol 3, p 116)
