Tive in Loneliness Coping: Investigating the Plausibility of a Model of Compensatory Internet Use
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The use of social web applications as a functional alterna- tive in loneliness coping: investigating the plausibility of a model of compensatory Internet use Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Fakultät für Psychologie, Pädagogik und Sportwissenschaft der Universität Regensburg vorgelegt von Andreas Reißmann aus Mintraching 2017 Regensburg 2017 Gutachter (Betreuer): Prof. Dr. K. W. Lange Gutachter: Prof. Dr. P. Fischer I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone. (Robin Williams) Herzlichen Dank an meine aktuellen und früheren Kolleginnen und Kollegen am Lehrstuhl. Nur durch Euch, Joachim, Ivo, Ewelina, Benni, Loredana, Lilla, Dorka, Corinna, Felix, Franz, Sabine und Peter, sind diese Projekte und diese Arbeit erst möglich geworden. Vielen Dank für Rat, Tat, Kritik, offene Ohren, Aufmunterung, tür- und augenöffnende Dienste, Kaffee und all die Unterstützung! Danke an Andrea, Ben und Alisa für das geduldige Ertragen emotionaler Achterbahnfahrten, bedingungslose Unterstützung, Kopfmassagen, Wolfsheulen und den „Paprika-Tanz“. Ihr seid die Besten! Danke an meine Eltern, Oma Adelheid, Peter, Tamara, Isabel und Madeleine für das richtige Maß an Verständnis(losigkeit), Unterstützung und unendliches entgegengebrachtes Vertrauen auf meinem Weg durch akademisches Gefilde. Ebenso Danke an meine Freunde und Mitbewohner: Magda, Willi, Felix, Marion, Susanne, Se- bastian, Nicole, Stephan, Malli, Nina, Lia, Tom, Niko, Benny, Jule, Caro, Hekko, Anna, Martin, Anne, Nora, Leuchsi, Jay, Benni und Georg (die Monster, die ich schuf), Anna-Lena und Alex, Hannes, Jil, Minza, David, Sonja, Alex, Michi, Moni, Michael, Oma Margot, Evelyn, Amelie und Nik. Vielen Dank, dass Ihr alle dazu beitragt, dass ich mich niemals einsam fühle (das ist in die- sem Kontext als Kompliment zu verstehen; siehe oben!). Und das Wichtigste zum Schluss: herzlichen Dank meinem Betreuer und Doktorvater Herrn Prof. Lange für das entgegen gebrachte Vertrauen, die geleistete Unterstützung und die beru- higenden Ratschläge. Vielen Dank auch Herrn Prof. Fischer für die sehr freundliche Übernahme der Zweitbegutachtung. 3 Table of contents Table of contents List of abbreviations ................................................................................................. 8 Summary ............................................................................................................... 11 I. Coping with loneliness through the use of the Internet: a construct analysis and general introduction ........................................................................................ 13 1. Loneliness .............................................................................................................. 14 1.1 Definition and theoretical conceptualizations of loneliness ................................................ 14 1.2 Epidemiology of loneliness in emerging adulthood ............................................................. 17 1.2.1 Developmental challenges of emerging adulthood and university life ........................... 18 1.2.2 Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of loneliness ............................................ 19 1.2.3 Comorbidities of loneliness ............................................................................................. 22 1.3 Coping with loneliness ......................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1 Taxonomies of coping with loneliness ............................................................................. 24 1.3.2 Internet use as a means of coping with loneliness .......................................................... 25 2. Choice and effect models of Internet use ................................................................ 30 2.1 Tracing media effects back to media choices – a case for Uses & Gratifications?............... 31 2.2 Social Internet functions and gratifications: what about the lonely? .................................. 33 3. Summary and outline of studies ............................................................................. 37 II. The role of loneliness in university students’ Internet addiction – a conditional process analysis of the moderating effect of social web application use .................. 39 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 39 1.1 The phenomenology of Internet addiction .......................................................................... 39 1.1.1 Syndrome definition ........................................................................................................ 40 1.1.2 Different forms of Internet addiction .............................................................................. 41 1.2 Epidemiology of Internet addiction ..................................................................................... 43 1.2.1 Prevalence of Internet use and addiction........................................................................ 43 1.2.2 Course of Internet addiction............................................................................................ 45 1.2.3 Psychosocial and mental health factors in Internet addiction ........................................ 45 1.3 Etiological accounts of Internet addiction ........................................................................... 46 1.3.1 Addictive properties of the Internet ................................................................................ 46 1.3.2 Neuropsychological account of Internet addiction ......................................................... 48 4 Table of contents 1.3.3 Cognitive-behavioral model ............................................................................................ 48 1.3.4 Uses and gratifications: extension of the cognitive-behavioral model? ......................... 50 1.4 The role of loneliness in Internet addiction – empirical results ........................................... 53 1.4.1 Loneliness as a correlate of motives for Internet use ..................................................... 53 1.4.2 Loneliness as a correlate of Internet use behavior .......................................................... 57 1.4.3 Loneliness as a correlate of Internet addiction ............................................................... 63 2. Research questions and hypotheses ....................................................................... 65 3. Methods ................................................................................................................ 67 3.1 Sample ................................................................................................................................. 67 3.2 Instruments .......................................................................................................................... 69 3.2.1 Implementation of Limesurvey™ ..................................................................................... 69 3.2.2 Questionnaires and Scales ............................................................................................... 69 3.3 Procedure ............................................................................................................................. 82 3.4 Statistical analyses ............................................................................................................... 83 4. Results .................................................................................................................. 87 4.1 Descriptive statistics ............................................................................................................ 87 4.1.1 Internet use data ............................................................................................................. 87 4.1.2 Psychometric scale data .................................................................................................. 89 4.2 Loneliness, psychosocial adjustment and mental health ..................................................... 91 4.2.1 Loneliness and indicators of psychosocial adjustment .................................................... 91 4.2.2 Loneliness and mental health indicators ......................................................................... 92 4.2.3 Loneliness and stress-related coping behaviors .............................................................. 92 4.3 Loneliness associations with Internet use dimensions ........................................................ 93 4.4 Moderated mediation analysis of loneliness effects on Internet addiction ........................ 96 4.4.1 Intercorrelations among study variables ......................................................................... 96 4.4.2 Parallel multiple mediator model of loneliness effects on Internet addiction ................ 99 4.4.3 First stage moderated parallel multiple mediator model.............................................. 102 4.4.4 Covariate-controlled first stage moderated parallel multiple mediator model ............ 109 4.4.5 Summary of results from the moderated mediation analysis ....................................... 112 5. Discussion ............................................................................................................ 117 5.1 Loneliness and psychosocial problems .............................................................................. 118 5.1.1