Students Pathological Internet Use Behavior, Motivation And Social - Mental Health Model

Studies of the psychology of the Internet focus on the relationship between the behavior and social-psychological health associated with Internet use. Current researchers have not reached an agreement on whether Internet use has positive or negative effects on the user's social-psychological health, which may result from users' different behavior patterns of Internet use based on different motives. Without considering the integrative relation of the motives, behavior and consequences associated with Internet use, current theoretical models unavoidably have some limitations and weak accountability.This study included four parts. In the first three independent and correlated studies, we respectively explored the structures and related factors of pathological Internet use, motives and social-psychological health associated with Internet use. In the fourth study, by employing the technique of structural equation modeling, we integrated the motives, pathological Internet use and social-psychological health into a whole model, explored the paths from motives to behaviors and social-psychological health as well as the effect of each path.The following conclusions could be drawn from our studies:1 .The structure of pathological Internet use behavior of college students consisted of Internet use impulse, distraction/escape and online social comfort, of which internet-use impulse was the most important factor. These three factors could be generalized into a higher-level factor named pathological Internet use.2.The structure of motives of Internet use of college students consisted of two independent factors, which were labeled as Social-Affective motive and Information-Acquisition motive.3.The structure of social-psychological health associated with Internet use consisted of loneliness, social involvement, general depression, life happiness and life satisfaction, of which loneliness was the primary factor. These five factors could be generalized into two higher-level dimensions named social health and psychological health.4.Information Acquisition motive could prompt user's social health, and have further indirectly positive effects on user's psychological health. Social-Affective motive could lead to pathological Internet use behavior and then play indirectly negative roles in user's social health and psychological health. The positive effects of Internet use of college students surpassed negative ones.S.Male college students had more Internet use impulse, online social comfort and control than females. Science students had more Internet use impulse than liberal ones.6.Gender and major factors had no remarkable relation to motives of Internet use.7.Male college students had more depression than females; Science students had moredepression than liberal ones.8.Time and frequencies of Internet use only had local and weak relation to pathological Internet use behavior, motives and social-psychological health associated with internet use, therefore, which might not serve as the two predictors of Internet use behavior.