title: Does acceptance of power distance influence propensities for problematic Internet use? Evidence from a cross-cultural study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies suggest that Asian countries are particularly afflicted by problematic Internet use (PIU).
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study investigates whether individual differences in the acceptance of power distance can be linked to overuse of the Internet in Germany and in China. Power distance has been discussed as an essential dimension on which Asian and Western societies differ. In the present study, we investigate two large non-clinical samples from Germany (n = 297) and China (n = 556) to address this question.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both in Germany and in China, high acceptance of power distance was positively associated with PIU. These effects were more pronounced in China compared with Germany. Moreover, the observed effects were stronger in males compared with females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clearly, these findings are just a starting point and need to be replicated in the future. Clinical populations and a further important difference variable - collectivism - also merit consideration in future work.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. christian.montag@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montag
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Éilish
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Duke
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sindermann
authors.affiliation: Student Counselling Centre, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000208:ethnology*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; Germany; Internet addiction; collectivism; power distance