The effects of escape from self and interpersonal relationship on the pathological use of Internet games.
The purpose of the present study was to examine whether Baumeister's escape from self theory may account for the pathological use of Internet games among Korean adolescents. A sample of 1,136 junior high school students completed measures assessing Internet game addiction (IGA), real-ideal self discrepancy, escape from self, current mood, peer relationships, perceived parent-child relationship, and parental supervision. IGA was significantly correlated with all of these variables. Multiple regression analysis showed that escape from self best explained the adolescents' IGA. A path model yielded significant paths from self-discrepancy to negative mood, from negative mood to escape from self, and from escape from self to IGA. These results support the validity of using the escape from self theory to explain the adolescents' IGA, thereby suggesting that adolescents become addicted to Internet games in an attempt to escape from self and reality.
Kwon
Jung-Hye
JH
Department of Psychology, Korea University, 5 Anam-Dong, Sungbuk-Ku, Seoul, Korea. junghye@korea.ac.kr
Chung
Chung-Suk
CS
Lee
Jung
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012574:Schools; D019455:Self Psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018910:Video Games
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