Etiological Correlates and Gender Differences of Internet Addiction in Taiwanese Adolescents: The Use Pattern, Stress, and Impulsivity
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Po-Tsang Huang, Brian
Abstract
Objective: While benefitted from highly developed Informational Technology, Internet addiction might be a mental health issue for Taiwanese adolescents and worth research and professional attentions. Nevertheless, environmental and developmental factors associated with Internet addiction in adolescents are less explored. Specifically, little is known about the stress types that may be more related to Internet addiction or the relationship between impulsivity and Internet addiction. Moreover, few studies have attempted to explain higher prevalence of Internet addiction in boys. Therefore, in order to understand the etiological factors and gender differences of Internet addiction in Taiwanese adolescents, the present study attempts to explore the relationship among Internet addiction, stress and impulsivity from a stress-diathesis perspective. It is hypothesized that high-risk adolescents have higher stress and higher impulsivity than low-risk adolescents. In addition, stress is hypothesized to moderate the relationship between impulsivity and Internet addiction tendency. The relationship between different types of stress and Internet addiction is explored. Finally, the gender difference of Internet addiction with respect to Internet use, impulsivity, and stress is explored.
Method: 759 adolescents (387 boys, 372 girls, age range = 12-15 years old) from a local junior high school in Taipei participated in the study. Both participants and their parents completed the informed consent form. Self-report questionnaires assessing Internet usage, adolescents life stress, impulsivity and Internet addiction tendency were completed by participants anonymously.
Results: Using analyses of variance and hierarchical multiple regressions, the present study found: 1) While online gaming and using cyberporn were more predictive of Internet addiction for boys, using social interaction device was more predictive for girls. 2) Stress of self and future concern was more related to Internet addiction for boys, while romantic relationship stress was more related to Internet addiction for girls. 3) Significant gender × group (low/high risk) interaction was found for objective academic stress and subjective/objective romantic relationship stress. 4) Both high-risk boys and girls showed significant higher impulsivity than low-risk group. 5) Stress did not moderate the relationship between impulsivity and Internet addiction. 6) Subjective academic stress had a curvilinear relationship with Internet addiction, whereas such relationship existed only for boys but not for girls.
Discussion: In Taiwanese adolescents, boys and girls may have different etiological patterns of Internet addiction. The roles of Internet use, types of stress, and impulsivity playing in the etiological links to Internet addiction are addressed. The limitation of study as well as clinical implication and future direction are discussed.
Subjects
Internet addiction
Internet use
stress
impulsivity
adolescents
SDGs
Type
thesis
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