Yaşar KUZUCU1, Özge SARIOT ERTÜRK2, Ömer Faruk ŞİMŞEK3, İbrahim GÖKDAŞ4
ozge.sariot@adu.edu.tr
1 PhD – Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Education, Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance, Aydın, Turkey, yasarku@yahoo.com, Telephone: +90 256 218 20 00
2 PhD – Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Psychology Department, Aydın, Turkey, ozge.sariot@adu.edu.tr, Telephone: +90 505 385 55 36
3 PhD – İstanbul Rumeli University, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Psychology Department, İstanbul, Turkey, simsekof@gmail.com, Telephone: +90 212 866 01 01
4 PhD – Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Education, Department of Computer and Instructional Technologies Education, Aydın, Turkey, igokdas@gmail.com, Telephone: +90 256 218 20 00
Abstract
This research investigated direct and indirect relationships that occur between interpersonal cognitive distortions, loneliness, social anxiety and problematic Internet use (PIU) when the effect of social desirability was controlled. The study was based on a cognitive-behavioural model of generalized PIU. Data were collected from 260 university students ranging from 18 to 26-year-olds (M=21.29, SD=1.78). The participants answered the Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale (ICDS), UCLA-R Loneliness Scale, The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Self-Report Version (LSAS-SR), Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine a model in which interpersonal cognitive distortions predicted PIU via loneliness and social anxiety. The results showed that of the two intervening variables, only loneliness had a mediator role between interpersonal cognitive distortions and PIU when social desirability was controlled. The findings were discussed in terms of the literature and the implications for practice were considered.
Please cite this article as: Kuzucu, Y., SARIOT ERTÜRK, Ö., ŞİMŞEK, Ö. F., & Gökdaş, İ. (2020). COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS AND PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USE CONNECTION: EXAMINING THE MEDIATOR ROLES OF LONELINESS AND SOCIAL ANXIETY BY PARTIALLING OUT THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL DESIRABILITY. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, 20(1).
Keywords: cognitive distortion, loneliness, social anxiety, social desirability, problematic Internet use
DOI:10.24193/jebp.2020.1.4
Published online: 2020/03/01
Published print: 2020/03/01
