The Relationship between Impulsivity and Internet Addiction in Chinese College Students: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Meaning in Life and Self-Esteem

BACKGROUND Cyberbullying has become a growing public health concern that threatens the physical and mental health of young people worldwide. Despite a rising call for more research on victims of cyberbullying, there is still limited understanding of the psychological and behavioral mechanism underlying cyberbullying victimization (CV), especially among the Chinese population. However, such information is crucial for identifying potential victims and planning targeted educational and protective interventions. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the relationship between attachment anxiety (AA), social media self-disclosure (SMSD) and CV among Chinese college students and to examine the moderating role of gender. METHODS A web-based questionnaire was constructed to assess AA, SMSD, and CV with validated scales. Mediation analysis, t-tests, moderation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis were performed and bootstrap method was used to estimate bias-corrected confidence interval. RESULTS The sample consisted of 845 Chinese college students who used social media (female=635, mean age =18.7 years old). AA had a weak but statistically significant positive effect on CV (β=.06, t=2.652, p=.008), partially mediated by SMSD (β=.008, p<.001, 95%CI=[0.001, 0.018]), 14.5% of total effect). Gender moderated the second stage of the mediation path, namely the SMSD-CV path (β=-.095, t=-2.195, p=.029) as well as the direct AA-CV path (β=.062, t=2.38, p=.018). Males displayed a stronger direct effect of AA on CV whereas females showed a stronger indirect effect of AA on CV mediated through SMSD. CONCLUSIONS High AA is associated with high CV in Chinese college students and hence should be attended to in interventions targeting cyberbullying victims. In females, after accounting for SMSD, the AA-CV relationship is no longer significant, which means educating females on risks of excessive and indiscreet SMSD may suffice to mitigate the increased risk of CV brought about by high AA. However, the mechanism underlying males’ AA-CV relationship warrants more research in the future. The model resulting from this research should be a starting point for developing more sophisticated tools for surveilling and protecting potential victims of cyberbullying.

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Relationship between psychological suzhi and internet addiction among chinese college students

Journal of Systems and Information Technology ◽

10.1108/jsit-07-2020-0127 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Yuan-yan Hu ◽

Peng Wang ◽

Xin-qiang Wang ◽

Tian-qiang Hu

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Internet Addiction ◽

North China ◽

Southwest China ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

Content Type ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

College Sample ◽

The Relationship

Purpose Despite concerns about the effect of internet addiction, little is known about how psychological suzhi impacts the internet addiction of college students. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between psychological suzhi and internet addiction among college students. Design/methodology/approach Using the college student psychological suzhi scale and internet addiction test, 2,070 college students from 11 universities in North China, East China, South China and Southwest China were tested. Findings The detection rate of internet addiction in this college sample of students was 18.8%. There was a significant negative correlation between students’ psychological suzhi and internet addiction (r = −0.408, p < 0.01). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that adaptability and individuality in psychological suzhi significantly negatively predicted college students’ internet addiction tendency (p < 0.001). Originality/value This study is the first to show a relationship between psychological suzhi and internet addiction in college students. In detail, the adaptability and individuality of college students’ psychological suzhi are protective factors related to internet addiction. The results also suggested that the authors can prevent and intervene in internet addiction by modifying college students’ adaptability and individuality.

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The relationship between high residential density in student dormitories and anxiety, binge eating and Internet addiction: a study of Chinese college students

SpringerPlus ◽

10.1186/s40064-016-3246-6 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Zhuoli Tao ◽

Gao Wu ◽

Zeyuan Wang

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Binge Eating ◽

Internet Addiction ◽

Residential Density ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

The Relationship

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Relationship Between Childhood Emotional Abuse and Self-Esteem: A Dual Mediation Model of Attachment

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.6655 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (5) ◽

pp. 793-800 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Chuqi Liu ◽

Xiaodan Chen ◽

Pingfang Song ◽

Aitao Lu ◽

Lu Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Indirect Effect ◽

Mediation Analysis ◽

Emotional Abuse ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Mediation Model ◽

Secure Attachment ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

Childhood Emotional Abuse

We tested the hypothesis that childhood emotional abuse would be positively associated with fearful attachment, whereas it would be negatively associated with secure attachment and self-esteem, with attachment mediating the linkage between childhood emotional abuse and self-esteem. Chinese college students (N = 554) completed measures of childhood emotional abuse, secure/fearful attachment, and self-esteem. Dual mediation analysis based on 5,000 bootstrap samples showed that childhood emotional abuse affected self-esteem through both secure attachment and fearful attachment, with the indirect effect through secure attachment being stronger relative to that through fearful attachment. However, the direct effect of childhood emotional abuse on self-esteem was nonsignificant. The association patterns among childhood emotional abuse, secure/fearful attachment, and self-esteem show the need for more focus on developing children's secure attachment style to shape their positive self-esteem later in life.

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Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Internet Addiction in Chinese College Students Controlling for the Effects of Physical Exercise, Demographic, and Academic Variables

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.698748 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Songdong Ye ◽

Huiying Cheng ◽

Zongpeng Zhai ◽

Hongyou Liu

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Physical Exercise ◽

Internet Addiction ◽

Academic Career ◽

Lower Probability ◽

Academic Variables ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

The Relationship

This study aims to identify the relationship between social anxiety (SA) and internet addiction (IA) in a group of Chinese college students by controlling for the effects of physical exercise (PE), demographic, and academic variables. A sample of 4,677 students from five major regions of China participated in this survey. The findings revealed that: (1) SA had a direct effect on IA; (2) regular and active participation in physical exercise can relieve SA and IA effectively; (3) the level of SA and IA is strongly linked to sex; (4) the levels of SA and IA are different among students of different majors; (5) students in the middle phase of their academic career are more likely to have IA than those in the starting phase. The study is significant because few existing studies discuss the role of PE on SA and IA. Additionally, the study found that college students with more PE would have a lower level of SA and a lower probability of IA.

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Life History Strategy and Overeating During COVID-19 Pandemic: a Moderated Mediation Model of Sense of Control and Coronavirus Stress

10.21203/rs.3.rs-742702/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Baojuan Ye ◽

Ruining Wang ◽

Mingfan Liu ◽

Xinqiang Wang ◽

Qiang Yang

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Life History ◽

Life History Strategy ◽

Empirical Support ◽

Moderated Mediation ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Sense Of Control ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

Moderated Mediation Model ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background: This study examined the mediating effect of sense of control and the moderating effect of coronavirus stress on the relationship between life history strategy and overeating among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 period. Methods: Thirty-three hundred and ten Chinese students (Mage = 19.74, SD = 1.50; 47% males) completed self-reported questionnaires regarding life history strategy, sense of control, overeating, and coronavirus stress. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s r correlations and moderated mediation analysis. Results: The results revealed that control sense mediated the link between life history strategy and college students’ overeating. College students’ coronavirus stress moderated the associations between life history strategy and college students’ sense of control and between control sense and overeating. The association between life history strategy and sense of control was stronger for those with lower coronavirus stress, and the association between sense of control and overeating was stronger for those with lower coronavirus stress. Conclusions: This study identified the critical factors associated with overeating; it supplies empirical support for existing theories and provides practical implications for interventions aiming to decrease Chinese college students’ overeating during COVID-19 period.

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Explicit self-esteem, loneliness, and pathological Internet use among Chinese adolescents

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.2016.44.6.965 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 965-972 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Weinan Zeng ◽

Kaiyin Ye ◽

Ying Hu ◽

Ze-Wei Ma

Keyword(s):

Internet Addiction ◽

Mediation Analysis ◽

Internet Use ◽

Preventive Measure ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Chinese Adolescents ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Pathological Internet Use ◽

The Relationship

We explored the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between explicit self-esteem and pathological Internet use in a sample of 624 Chinese adolescents. The participants were administered a series of measures, including the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3), and Young Internet Addiction Test. The results suggested that greater pathological Internet use was associated with lower explicit self-esteem and greater loneliness, but loneliness was positively correlated with pathological Internet use. The mediation analysis indicated that loneliness completely mediated the association between explicit self-esteem and pathological Internet use among adolescents, implying that lower explicit self-esteem was correlated with greater loneliness, which was then associated with greater pathological Internet use. Accordingly, enhancing adolescents' self-esteem and decreasing their feelings of loneliness may function as a preventive measure to help teenagers relieve their levels of pathological Internet use.

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Idiocentrism, Allocentrism, Psychological Well Being and Suicidal Ideation: A Cross Cultural Study

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.2190/om.55.2.c ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 131-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jie Zhang ◽

Jill M. Norvilitis ◽

Travis Sky Ingersoll

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

College Students ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

Cross Cultural Study ◽

The Relationship

The present study examined the relationship between idiocentrism, allocentrism, psychological well being (self-esteem, depression, and social support), and suicidal ideation among 283 American college students and 343 Chinese college students. Idiocentrism was correlated with high self-esteem, high depression, and low social support, but the relationships were more likely to be significant for women than for men in both cultures. Allocentrism was primarily related to social support. As predicted, high levels of suicidal ideation were correlated with more idiocentrism, but only for women. Allocentrism was related to lower levels of suicidal ideation in both cultures, but the relationship was small. As suicide prevention may start from suicidal ideation treatment, the treatment of suicidal ideation may have to take into account cultural and personal characteristics, such as idiocentrism.

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Relationship Between Perfectionism and Depression Among Chinese College Students With Self-Esteem as a Mediator

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.1177/0030222819849746 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 80 (3) ◽

pp. 490-503 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ling Chai ◽

Wenhui Yang ◽

Jie Zhang ◽

Shuyu Chen ◽

Dwight A. Hennessy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Epidemiologic Studies ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Maladaptive Perfectionism ◽

The Relationship ◽

Adaptive Perfectionism ◽

Significant Mediator

Objectives This study is designed to examine the mediating role of self-esteem (SE) in the relationship between perfectionism and depression among a nonclinical sample of 918 Chinese college students. Methods Participants completed a questionnaire battery that included measures of perfectionism (Almost Perfect Scale-Revised), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression), and self-esteem (The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). Results The results showed that maladaptive perfectionism significantly and positively predicted depression, while adaptive perfectionism and self-esteem negatively predicted depression. More importantly, self-esteem partially mediated the prediction of depression from both adaptive perfectionism and maladaptive perfectionism. Conclusion Self-esteem was a significant mediator on the relationship between perfectionism and depression. Elevating student self-esteem may be a way of reducing depression, particularly among maladaptive perfectionists.

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