J Clin Med. 2018 Aug 19;7(8). pii: E222. doi: 10.3390/jcm7080222.
Nam CR1, Lee DH2, Lee JY3, Choi AR4, Chung SJ5, Kim DJ6, Bhang SY7, Kwon JG8, Kweon YS9, Choi JS10,11.
Abstract
The behavioral inhibition/activation systems (BIS/BAS) have been considered to be predictors of Internet addiction, mediated by clinical variables such as anxiety and depression. However, resilience has been suggested as a protective factor toward Internet addiction, and certain sex differences in resilience buffering the effects of vulnerability have been reported. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify any role of resilience that might moderate the effects of BIS/BAS on Internet addiction through multiple clinical variables in boys and girls. A total of 519 middle-school students (268 boys and 251 girls, all 14 years old) were administered a questionnaire battery that measures Internet addiction, BIS/BAS, depression, anxiety, impulsivity, anger, and resilience. We used the PROCESS macro in SPSS to perform moderation and mediation analysis. Findings revealed that although a somewhat similar mediation model was supported in both sexes, moderating effects of resilience only emerged in girls. The results showed a protective role of resilience differing between sexes. These results suggest that clinicians should consider sex in the way resilience works as a protective factor against Internet addiction and focus on mitigating the effects of vulnerability by enhancing resilience in female Internet addicts.
KEYWORDS: behavioral inhibition/activation system; internet addiction; moderated mediation; resilience; sex differences
PMID: 30126239
PMCID: PMC6111304
DOI: 10.3390/jcm7080222
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