Personality Profiles as Key Drivers of Techno-Eustress for Enhancing Digital Well-Being in Online Learning

Authors

  • Thean Pheng Lim Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology image/svg+xml Author
  • Siew Ming Thang HELP University image/svg+xml Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54855/

Keywords:

Personality profiles, techno-eustress, personality traits, IT mindfulness, online learning

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic's shift to digital education intensified student technostress, impeding engagement. Recent research highlights techno-eustress, positive responses to technological challenges, as a predictor of improved online learning performance. This study examines how personality traits and IT mindfulness enable students to perceive technological demands as stimulating rather than overwhelming. Integrating the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, Five-Factor Model, and Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory, we surveyed 79 high-achieving Malaysian university students. Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) identified four distinct personality profiles associated with techno-eustress. IT mindfulness emerged as universally necessary, enabling reinterpretation of stressors as challenges across all profiles. Findings advance techno-eustress theory by demonstrating that personality configurations shape coping effectiveness and adaptive outcomes. In practice, results inform educators and institutions in designing targeted interventions that leverage personality strengths and cultivate IT mindfulness, empowering students to transform technostress into productive engagement in online learning environments.

Author Biographies

  • Thean Pheng Lim, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology

    Dr Lim Thean Pheng, a distinguished Assistant Professor at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, is recognised for expertise in technology acceptance, behaviour, and student engagement. Holding degrees in management, IT, and a doctoral degree in business administration, and affiliated with prestigious global institutes, he is a respected authority bridging academic excellence and industry leadership.

  • Siew Ming Thang, HELP University

    Dr. Thang Siew Ming has just retired as a Professor at HELP University, Kuala Lumpur.  Prior to that she was the Head of the School of Language Studies and Linguistics at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her areas of interest are CALL, Learner Autonomy, Motivation, Learning and Technologies, and Eye-tracking Research. She is the President of PacCALL and Co-chair of the GLoCALL series of conferences. She has given keynote and plenary presentations at various conferences. She has also published extensively and is on the editorial boards of numerous well-known CALL and Language Education journals. 

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Published

2026-11-09

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Vol. 27 No. 3 (2026): Special Issue GLoCALL 2025 Conference Papers: Picturing the Future of Language Education in the Intelligence Era

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Personality Profiles as Key Drivers of Techno-Eustress for Enhancing Digital Well-Being in Online Learning. (2026). Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal, 27(3), 116-135. https://doi.org/10.54855/