Götz Friedrich M, Stieger Stefan, Reips Ulf-Dietrich
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2017 May 3;12(5):e0176921. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176921. eCollection 2017.
The increasingly widespread use of mobile phone applications (apps) as research tools and cost-effective means of vast data collection raises new methodological challenges. In recent years, it has become a common practice for scientists to design apps that run only on a single operating system, thereby excluding large numbers of users who use a different operating system. However, empirical evidence investigating any selection biases that might result thereof is scarce. Henceforth, we conducted two studies drawing from a large multi-national (Study 1; N = 1,081) and a German-speaking sample (Study 2; N = 2,438). As such Study 1 compared iOS and Android users across an array of key personality traits (i.e., well-being, self-esteem, willingness to take risks, optimism, pessimism, Dark Triad, and the Big Five). Focusing on Big Five personality traits in a broader scope, in addition to smartphone users, Study 2 also examined users of the main computer operating systems (i.e., Mac OS, Windows). In both studies, very few significant differences were found, all of which were of small or even tiny effect size mostly disappearing after sociodemographics had been controlled for. Taken together, minor differences in personality seem to exist, but they are of small to negligible effect size (ranging from OR = 0.919 to 1.344 (Study 1), ηp2 = .005 to .036 (Study 2), respectively) and may reflect differences in sociodemographic composition, rather than operating system of smartphone users.
将手机应用程序（应用）作为研究工具以及作为收集大量数据的经济有效手段的使用日益广泛，这带来了新的方法学挑战。近年来，科学家设计仅在单一操作系统上运行的应用程序已成为一种常见做法，从而排除了大量使用不同操作系统的用户。然而，调查由此可能产生的任何选择偏差的实证证据却很匮乏。此后，我们进行了两项研究，一项来自大型跨国样本（研究1；N = 1,081），另一项来自说德语的样本（研究2；N = 2,438）。研究1比较了iOS和安卓用户在一系列关键人格特质（即幸福感、自尊、冒险意愿、乐观主义、悲观主义、黑暗三人格以及大五人格）方面的差异。研究2除了关注智能手机用户外，还在更广泛的范围内聚焦大五人格特质，同时考察了主要计算机操作系统（即Mac OS、Windows）的用户。在两项研究中，发现的显著差异非常少，而且所有差异的效应量都很小甚至极小，在控制了社会人口统计学因素后大多消失。总体而言，人格方面似乎存在微小差异，但效应量小到可以忽略不计（研究1中OR值范围为0.919至1.344，研究2中ηp2值范围为0.005至0.036），这可能反映的是社会人口统计学构成的差异，而非智能手机用户的操作系统差异。
