A longitudinal study of adolescent internet addiction : The role of conscientiousness and classroom hostility
- Authors: Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Kuss, Daria , Griffiths, Mark , Motti-Stefanidi, Frosso
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Adolescent Research Vol. 31, no. 4 (2015), p. 442-473
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Over the last decade, research on Internet addiction (IA) has increased. However, almost all studies in the area are cross-sectional and do not examine the context in which Internet use takes place. Therefore, a longitudinal study examined the role of conscientiousness (as a personality trait) and classroom hostility (as a contextual factor) in the development of IA. The participants comprised 648 adolescents and were assessed over a 2-year period (while aged 16-18 years). A three-level hierarchical linear model was carried out on the data collected. Findings revealed that (a) lower conscientiousness was associated with IA and this did not change over time and (b) although being in a more hostile classroom did not initially have a significant effect, it increased girls’ IA vulnerability over time and functioned protectively for boys. Results indicated that the contribution of individual and contextual IA factors may differ across genders and over time. More specifically, although the protective effect of conscientiousness appeared to hold, the over-time effect of classroom hostility increased the risk of IA for girls. These findings are discussed in relation to the psychological literature. The study’s limitations and implications are also discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.
A multilevel longitudinal study of experiencing virtual presence in adolescence : The role of anxiety and openness to experience in the classroom
- Authors: Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Wilson, Peter , Kuss, Daria , Griffiths, Mark , Gentile, Douglas
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Behaviour & Information Technology Vol. 36, no. 5 (2017), p. 524-539
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Presence describes the feeling of reality and immersion that users of virtual/Internet environments have. Importantly, it has been suggested that there are individual and contextual differences regarding susceptibility to presence. These aspects of presence have been linked to both beneficial and disadvantageous uses of the Internet, such as online therapeutic applications and addictive Internet behaviours. In the present study, presence was studied in relation to individual anxiety symptoms and classroom-level openness to experience (OTE) using a normative sample of 648 adolescents aged between 16 and 18 years. Presence was assessed with the Presence II questionnaire, anxiety symptoms with the relevant subscales of the SCL-90-R, and OTE with the Five-Factor Questionnaire. A three-level hierarchical linear model was calculated. Results showed that experiencing presence in virtual environments dropped between the ages of 16 and 18 years. Additionally, although anxiety symptoms were associated with higher presence at 16 years, this association decreased with age. Results also demonstrated that adolescents in classrooms higher on OTE reported reduced level of experiencing presence. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
Flow on the Internet : A longitudinal study of Internet addiction symptoms during adolescence
- Authors: Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Griffiths, Mark , Burleigh, Tyrone , Kuss, Daria , Doh, Young , Gomez, Rapson
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Behaviour and Information Technology Vol. 37, no. 2 (2018), p. 159-172
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Internet Addiction (IA) constitutes an excessive Internet use behavior with a significant impact on the user’s well-being. Online flow describes the users’ level of being absorbed by their online activity. The present study investigated age-related, gender, and flow effects on IA in adolescence. The sample comprised 648 adolescents who were assessed twice at age 16 and 18 years. IA was assessed using the Internet Addiction Test and online flow was assessed using the Online Flow Questionnaire. A three-level hierarchical model estimated age-related, gender, and online flow effects on IA symptoms and controlled for clustered random effects. IA symptoms decreased over time (for both genders) with a slower rate in males. Online flow was associated with IA symptoms and this remained consistent over time. Findings expand upon the available literature suggesting that IA symptoms could function as a development-related manifestation at the age of 16 years, while IA-related gender differences gradually increase between 16 and 18 years. Finally, the association between online flow and IA symptoms remained stable independent of age-related effects. The study highlights individual differences and provides directions for more targeted prevention and intervention initiatives for IA. © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.