title: Comparison of national and personal identity between person with internet addiction disorder and normal internet users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was carried out in order to compare national and personal identity and their subscales in internet addicts and nonaddicts.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a descriptive-analytical research, and was carried out on 384 student internet users in different universities in the city of Isfahan who were selected using quota sampling. Subjects completed the questionnaires, then, subscales of personal and national identity questionnaires in internet addict and nonaddict were analyzed via SPSS16 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated a significant difference between the scores of national identity and personal identity as well as all subscales in internet addicts and nonaddicts, except for national heritage and homeland defence factors. In addition, there was a negative and significant relationship between addiction to internet and personal and national identity, except for the fourth and fifth factors of national identity (viewpoints of others considering the national group and homeland defence). Moreover, after controlling for the sex variable, internet addiction had an effect on personal and national identity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this research indicate that an excess of internet use and overinvolvement in cyberspace and the addiction to them, could be associated with defects in some aspects of national and personal identity.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Psychology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Salman
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Alavi
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshte
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jannatifard
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Maracy
authors.affiliation: Hazrate Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alaghemandan
authors.affiliation: Forensic Medicine Organization, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Setare
keywords: Internet addiction; internet user; national identity; personal identity