The Association Between Psychological Well-Being and Problematic Use of Internet Communicative Services Among Young People

Previous studies on problematic Internet use have focused almost exclusively on the fact that presence of negative functioning, such as social anxiety, depressive symptoms, or loneliness, represents a risk factor for unhealthy use of the web. For this reason the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between psychological well-being dimensions and problematic use of Internet communicative services. In the current study 495 undergraduate students were recruited. The Italian adaptations of the Psychological Well-being Scales and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2) were used to assess psychological well-being dimensions and generalized problematic Internet use, respectively. Psychological well-being dimensions explained a significant portion of variance for the GPIUS2 total score levels, after controlling for sex, age, and occupational status. The levels of Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, and Positive Relations with Others acted as significant negative predictors of the tendency to use the web for regulating negative feelings, compulsive use of the web, and the negative outcomes that can arise as a result. The overall findings of the present study provide preliminary evidence that low psychological well-being is associated with problematic use of Internet communicative services.     

A role for the perceptual representation memory system in category learning

There is growing evidence that working memory, episodic/semantic memory, and procedural memory all play important roles in at least some types of category learning. Little is known, however, about the role of the perceptual representation memory system (PRS). Two experiments are reported that provide evidence that under certain conditions, the PRS, by itself, is sufficient to mediate category learning. Both experiments compared performance in (A, not A) and (A, B) prototype distortion category-learning tasks, in which category exemplars are created by randomly distorting one category prototype in the (A, not A) conditions or two prototypes in the (A, B) conditions. Results showed that (A, not A) performance was more sensitive to prototype similarity and less affected by the removal of feedback than (A, B) performance. These results support the hypothesis that (A, not A) performance was mediated by the PRS, but that (A, B) performance recruited other memory systems.     

Preference for online social interactions among young people: Direct and indirect effects of emotional intelligence

The social skills model of generalized problematic internet use predicts that individuals who perceive themselves as having low social competencies are at risk to develop a preference for online social interactions (POSI), which, in turn, might lead to compulsive use of Internet communication services. The present study aims to investigate if self-reported emotional intelligence (EI)—interpersonal and intrapersonal abilities—has an effect on POSI levels, and if this effect is mediated by the subjective importance attached to the major controllability (RC) and reduced non-verbal cues (RNVC) of computer mediated communication. 192 high schools and college students were recruited. Results from structural equation modeling show that Intrapersonal EI predicts both RC and RNVC, which, in turn, predicts the level of POSI. A partial mediation effect was found. On the other hand, Interpersonal EI is significantly associated with POSI, but this association cannot be explained by RC and RNVC. Its effect on POSI seems to be either direct or explained by variables not considered in the present study.     

Trait-Emotional Intelligence and the Tendency to Emotionally Manipulate Others Among Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissists

This study builds on previous findings regarding emotional intelligence among narcissists by considering the maladaptive aspects of emotional manipulation and distinguishing between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Trait-emotional intelligence and emotional manipulation capabilities of grandiose narcissists, vulnerable narcissists, and non-narcissists were compared. A convenience sample of 584 undergraduates from the University of Florence (Italy) with a mean age of 22.61 (SD?=?2.19) was recruited. A two-way ANOVA showed that vulnerable narcissists scored significantly lower than grandiose narcissists and non-narcissists in all the Bar-On EI dimensions, while grandiose narcissists scored higher than non-narcissists in Intrapersonal intelligence and the General Mood Bar-On scales. The two-way ANOVA also showed that both grandiose and vulnerable narcissists are prone to emotionally manipulate others in order to reach their aims.     

Adolescent Internet addiction: testing the association between self-esteem, the perception of Internet attributes, and preference for online social interactions

There is a general consensus that Internet addiction (IA) is mainly related to social aspects of the Web, especially among adolescents. The empirical link between poor social skills and IA is well documented; however, theoretical explanations for this relationship are less developed. One possibility is that people with poor social skills are especially prone to develop a preference for online social interaction (POSI), which, in turn, predicts problematic usage. This hypothesis has been tested for loneliness and social anxiety, but not for self-esteem (SE; one of the main antecedents of IA). Furthermore, the mediating role of the perceived relevance of some Internet features (e.g., anonymity) in the relationship between SE and POSI has never been investigated. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 257 adolescents. Using mediation analyses, we found evidence among females for the mediating role of (a) POSI in the relationship between SE and IA, and (b) the subjective relevance of some Internet features in the association between SE and POSI. No significant effects were found for males.     

Investigating how internet gaming disorder and bodily dissociation experiences vary by game genres

Cognitive Processing - This study aims to investigate whether Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and bodily dissociation vary depending on the most frequently used game genre. Seven hundred and fifteen...     

Direct and Indirect Effects of Caregiver Social Support on Adolescent Psychological Outcomes in Two South African AIDS-Affected Communities

Caregiver social support has been shown to be protective for caregiver mental health, parenting and child psychosocial outcomes. This is the first known analysis to quantitatively investigate the relationship between caregiver social support and adolescent psychosocial outcomes in HIV‐endemic, resource–scarce Southern African communities. A cross‐sectional household survey was conducted over 2009–2010 with 2,477 South African adolescents aged 10–17 and their adult caregivers (18 years or older) in one urban and one rural community in South Africa’s KwaZulu‐Natal province. Adolescent adjustment was assessed using adult caregiver reports of the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), which measures peer problems, hyperactivity, conduct problems, emotional symptoms and child prosocial behavior. Hierarchical linear regressions and multiple mediation analyses, using bootstrapping procedures, were conducted to assess for: (a) direct effects of more caregiver social support on better adolescent psychosocial wellbeing; and (b) indirect effects mediated by better parenting and caregiver mental health. Direct associations (p < .001), and indirect associations mediated through better parenting, were found for all adolescent outcomes. Findings reinforce the importance of social support components within parenting interventions but also point to scope for positive intervention on adolescent psychosocial wellbeing through the broader family social network.     

A PRELIMINARY DESCRIPTION AND FACTOR ANALYSIS OF A BROAD SPECTRUM BATTERY FOR ASSESSING ‘PROGRESS TOWARD READING MATURITY’

The study of reading behavior is presumed to be arrested by low‐risk instrumentation. A battery is described which was assembled to advance study and definition of reading maturity. The battery is shown, by factor analysis, to have greater implicit construct similarity to a popular taxonomy and diagnostic system than conventional measures typically address. Suggestion for the wider use of such paradigms for assessment are shown to yield qualitatively richer data for use in research than current conventions tend to provide.