Relationship between behavioral inhibition/activation system and Internet addiction among Chinese college students: The mediating effects of intolerance of uncertainty and self-control and gender differences

Abstract

BackgroundInternet addiction is a global public health issue among college students that is associated with a range of negative outcomes. Especially the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to shift most of their studies and life activities from offline to online, leading to a growing problem of Internet dependence and even Internet addiction. Although previous studies have indicated that the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System (BIS/BAS) have important effects on college students' Internet addiction, the mechanisms underlying these associations and gender differences are still unclear.AimsThe present study investigated the mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and self-control in the association between BIS/BAS and Internet addiction following the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model. Gender differences in such associations between variables were also tested.MethodA total of 747 Chinese college students were surveyed by using Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction, BIS/BAS Scales, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and the Brief Self-Control Scale.ResultsThe results from the structural equation modeling analysis showed that BIS was positively related to Internet addiction and that BAS had a negative association with Internet addiction. Moreover, intolerance of uncertainty and self-control mediated the relationships between BIS/BAS and Internet addiction. Multi-group analysis further revealed that the associations between BAS and Internet addiction and between intolerance of uncertainty and Internet addiction were stronger among the male students than among female students. The relationship between self-control and Internet addiction was greater in the female sample than in the male sample.ConclusionsThese findings extend our understanding of how BIS/BAS influence Internet addiction among college students and suggest that not only should training approaches based on intolerance of uncertainty and self-control be fully considered, but different intervention programs should be focused on gender sensitivity to maximize the intervention effect.

Unraveling the links between maternal and paternal parenting practices and adolescent problematic gaming: The mediating role of satisfaction and frustration of psychological needs.

“…This finding may be noteworthy also in light of the recent challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been found to increase parental difficulties and family chaos, leading to higher adolescent maladjustment (Masten, 2021). Consistent with a previous study on internet addiction (Zhang et al, 2022), our findings suggest that males in particular may be less tolerant of ambiguity and uncertainty, and thus, they may turn to video games to manage the associated negative emotions or, alternatively, to search and interact with a more structured environment. As postulated by the compensatory internet use theory (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014), individuals experiencing unpleasant states arising from stressful life situations, such as problems with their parents, may be particularly motivated to use technology as a coping strategy or as a way to compensate for what is lacking in real life.…”

Cross-sectional association study of hedonic hunger, self-control, cognitive distortion, and well-being with adiposity measures among a sample of urban Malaysian adults

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The relationship between boredom proneness, the behavioral inhibition system, and anxiety in college students: variable-centered and person-centered analytic approaches

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