Eur J Psychol. 2018 Mar 12;14(1):176-187. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1449. eCollection 2018 Mar.
Servidio R1, Gentile A2, Boca S2.
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to explore, through a mediation model, the relationship among self-esteem, coping strategies, and the risk of Internet addiction in a sample of 300 Italian university students. We submitted the data to a descriptive, mediational comparison between variables (t-test), and correlational statistical analyses. The results confirmed the effect of self-esteem on the risk of Internet addiction. However, we found that the introduction of coping strategies as a mediator gives rise to partial mediation. A low level of self-esteem is a predictor of avoidance-oriented coping that, in turn, affects the risk of Internet addiction.
KEYWORDS:
Internet addiction; coping; mediation model; self-esteem; university students
PMID: 29899805
PMCID: PMC5973524
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