Construction of pathological Internet use and Internet hostility models based on cognitive behavior theory among college students in three universities of northern Taiwan

• Main Authors: Hung-Yu Huang, 黃宏宇
• Other Authors: Sunny S. J. Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/46970335031716504298

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 教育研究所 === 91 === Based on the cognitive behavior theory, this study is aimed to analyze the relation between pathological Internet use (PIU) and Internet hostility. By conducting a questionnaire survey on a website, nine hundred and eighty seven samples were selected from students in three universities of northern Taiwan. The results can be analyzed from three models. First, in the model of pathological Internet use, it is concluded that cognitive distortions of pathological Internet use and the amount of time using Internet could predict pathological Internet use directly. Depression and Internet situational cues could predict pathological Internet use indirectly. Besides, the students with low achievement and undergraduate students had higher scores on the questionnaire of pathological Internet use. Second, in the model of Internet hostility, it indicated that hostility cognitive distortions could predict Internet hostility directly. Depression and online flaming experience could predict Internet hostility indirectly. Moreover, male Internet users’ Internet hostility level was higher than females’, and the Internet users with low achievement showed more Internet hostility as well. The result of a clustering analysis demonstrated that samples could be grouped into three hostility style groups. They were the direct expression of Internet hostility group (26%), the silent group (27%), and the indirect expression of Internet hostility group (47%). The direct expression group reported to have higher scores on suspicion on Internet relations, expression of anger, direct oral aggression, group aggression, and other Internet aggression than other two groups. Third, from the combination model of pathological Internet use and Internet hostility, the study found that pathological Internet use did not directly predict Internet hostility as the hypothesis suggested. Additionally, cognitive distortions had a significant way toward Internet disinhibition, i.e. pathological Internet use and Internet hostility. The limitations of this study are in the following. First, because the samples came from the universities of northern Taiwan, it should be cautious to infer the results to other samples. Second, this study adopted questionnaire survey, so it provides quantitative descriptions without deeper understanding. Thus, a further qualitative study in the future is suggested. Third, the study didn’t offer counseling methods for PIU users. Finally, the researcher suggests teachers several preventive ways for student’s Internet hostility from the view of cognitive behavior therapy.