Wong Ting Yat, Yuen Kenneth S L, Li Wang On
Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands ; Department of Counselling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University Hong Kong, China.
Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, Neuroimaging Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center Mainz, Germany.
Front Psychol. 2015 Jan 14;5:1562. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01562. eCollection 2014.
The Internet provides an easily accessible way to meet certain needs. Over-reliance on it leads to problematic use, which studies show can be predicted by psychological distress. Self-determination theory proposes that we all have the basic need for autonomy, competency, and relatedness. This has been shown to explain the motivations behind problematic Internet use. This study hypothesizes that individuals who are psychologically disturbed because their basic needs are not being met are more vulnerable to becoming reliant on the Internet when they seek such needs satisfaction from online activities, and tests a model in which basic needs predict problematic Internet use, fully mediated by psychological distress. Problematic Internet use, psychological distress, and basic needs satisfaction were psychometrically measured in a sample of 229 Hong Kong University students and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. All indices showed the model has a good fit. Further, statistical testing supported a mediation effect for psychological distress between needs satisfaction and problematic Internet use. The results extend our understanding of the development and prevention of problematic Internet use based on the framework of self-determination theory. Psychological distress could be used as an early predictor, while preventing and treating problematic Internet use should emphasize the fulfillment of unmet needs.
互联网提供了一种满足特定需求的便捷途径。过度依赖互联网会导致使用问题，研究表明心理困扰可以预测这种情况。自我决定理论提出，我们都有对自主性、能力和关联性的基本需求。这已被证明可以解释互联网使用问题背后的动机。本研究假设，那些因基本需求未得到满足而心理失调的个体，在通过在线活动寻求需求满足时，更容易依赖互联网，并测试了一个模型，其中基本需求通过心理困扰完全中介来预测互联网使用问题。在229名香港大学生样本中对互联网使用问题、心理困扰和基本需求满足进行了心理测量，并使用结构方程模型来测试假设模型。所有指标都表明该模型拟合良好。此外，统计检验支持心理困扰在需求满足和互联网使用问题之间的中介作用。研究结果基于自我决定理论框架扩展了我们对互联网使用问题的发展和预防的理解。心理困扰可作为早期预测指标，而预防和治疗互联网使用问题应强调满足未得到满足的需求。
