Emotion regulation strategies on depression through a problematic use of technology : toward an explanation of the association between depressive symptomatology and internet addiction.
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Date
2019
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Abstract
Depression has been reliably associated in the past with uncontrolled use of the Internet
regardless of its consequences, a phenomenon commonly referred to as Internet addiction.
However, less attention has been afforded to explaining this association. The present study aims
to provide a potential explanation based on current theoretical accounts of emotion regulation
and the problematic use of the Internet. To achieve this goal, this dissertation comprises three
articles. The first discusses a transcultural adaptation of the most psychometrically evaluated
measure of Internet addiction and a test of its psychometric properties on an adult sample from
Chile. Next, using a sample of Chilean high school students, a cross-sectional test of two
potential mechanisms linking depressive symptomatology and Internet addiction investigates
the possibility of being cognitively absorbed on the Internet (referred to as flow experiences
online) and using the Internet to postpone unpleasant tasks (referred to as Internet
procrastination). The final article analyzed data from the follow-up measurements of the
adolescent sample to provide a longitudinal explanation of the association between depressive
symptomatology and Internet addiction for those using the Internet to disconnect from life
situations, that is, using the Internet as a proxy for an attentional deployment emotion regulation
strategy. Taken together, results suggest that the inflexible use of the Internet to regulate
emotional experiences may influence the development of Internet addiction based on a negative
affective state such as the presence of depressive symptomatology. A possible vicious circle is
theoretically discussed, together with the study limitations and potential implications for both
clinical practice and future research efforts. It is hoped that the present study sheds light on the
mechanisms linking the technologically mediated context with adolescent affective processes.
Description
Tesis (Doctor en Filosofía)--Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2019
Tesis (Doctor en Filosofía)--Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg, 2019
Tesis (Doctor en Filosofía)--Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg, 2019