ANADOLU PSIKIYATRI DERGISI-ANATOLIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY, cilt.16, sa.1, ss.30-36, 2015 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between approval dependence, empathy and excessive internet use mediated with social benefit variable. Methods: 284 women and 382 men participated in this study. Participants completed Problematic Internet Use Scale, Scale of Dimensions of Interpersonal Relationships and information sheet. Path analysis was utilized to test he hypothesized causal model. Results: The results of the study demonstrated that social benefit mediated the relationship between approval dependence and excessive internet use. Also social benefit mediated the relationship between empathy and excessive internet use. Conclusion: University students who have higher level of approval dependence and lower level of empathy obtained more social benefit from internet and this lead to increase in excessive internet use.