Top

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

26-12-2023 | Addiction | Original Article

Triangling in Family of Origin, Internet Addiction, and Social Media Addiction: What Is the Role of Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship?

Authors: Mustafa Alperen Kurşuncu, Mark D. Griffiths, Şule Baştemur, Fatih Şal

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Abstract

One of the factors contributing towards a better understanding of social media addiction and internet addiction among university students is family-of-origin experiences. Triangling is one of the factors associated with these online addictions. Moreover, university students with higher experiential avoidance (lower psychological flexibility) may fail to cope with the adverse effects of triangling and develop problematic online behaviors. The present cross-sectional study investigated the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between triangling, internet addiction, and social media addiction. The sample comprised 839 university students, the majority aged between 18 and 25 years, from more than 50 universities across several regions of Turkey. Participants responded to items in a survey including the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), Triangular Relationship Inventory (TRI), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Young’s Internet Addiction Test-Short Form (YIAT-SF), and a Demographic Information Form. Findings showed that experiential avoidance mediated the association between triangling, social media addiction, and internet addiction. The path of triangling to experiential avoidance to internet addiction to social media addiction explained 65% of the variance. Triangling did not directly contribute to internet addiction and social media addiction unless participants reported experiential avoidance. The present study emphasizes the potential threats associated with triangling on social media addiction and the internet addiction among university students, in which the risks tend to increase as university students use dysfunctional emotional or cognitive coping strategies.

Akar, F. (2021). The examination of the internet usage properties and relationship between purposes of internet usage and social media addiction among university students. Third Sector Social Economic Review, 56(4), 2758–2781. https://doi.org/10.15659/3.sektor-sosyal-ekonomi.21.11.1681CrossRef

Aksu, M. H., Yığman, F., Ünver, H., & Özdel, K. (2019). The relationship between social problem solving, cognitive factors and social media addiction in young adults: A pilot study. Journal of Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy and Research, 8(3), 164–169. https://doi.org/10.5455/jcbpr.51403CrossRef

Aktan, E. (2018). Assessment of social media addiction levels of university students by numerous variables. Journal of Erciyes Communication, 5(4), 405–421. https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.379886

Andreassen, C. S., Billieux, J., Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., Demetrovics, Z., Mazzoni, E., & Pallesen, S. (2016). The relationship between addictive use of social media and video games and symptoms of psychiatric disorders: A large-scale cross-sectional study. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(2), 252–262. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000160

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Press.CrossRef

Arbuckle, J. L. (2016). IBM SPSS Amos 24 user’s guide. [Computer software and manual]. IBM.

Balcı, Ş, & Baloğlu, E. (2018). The relationship between social media addiction and depression: A survey among university youth. İleti-ş-im, 29, 209–233. https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.500860CrossRef

Bandalos, D. L. (2002). The effects of item parceling on goodness-of-fit and parameter estimate bias in structural equation modeling. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(1), 78–102. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0901_5CrossRef

Bell, L. G., Bell, D. C., & Nakata, Y. A. (2001). Triangulation and adolescent development in the USA and Japan. Family Process, 40(2), 173–186. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2001.4020100173.xCrossRefPubMed

Biglan, A., Gau, J. M., Jones, L. B., Hinds, E., Rusby, J. C., Cody, C., & Sprague, J. (2015). The role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between family conflict and depression among early adolescents. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 4(1), 30–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2014.12.001CrossRef

Bilgin, M., Şahin, İ., & Togay, A. (2020). Social media addiction in adolescents and parent-adolescent relationship. Egitim ve Bilim, 45(202). https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2020.8202

Blackledge, J. T., & Hayes, S. C. (2001). Emotion regulation in acceptance and commitment therapy. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice, 57(2), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(200102)57:2%3c243::AID-JCLP9%3e3.0.CO;2-XCrossRef

Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H. K., … & Zettle, R. D. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II: A revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 42(4), 676–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007.

Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. Jason Aronson.

Bresin, R. C., Murdock, N. L., Marszalek, J. M., & Stapley, L. A. (2017). The triangular relationship inventory: Development and validation. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 6(4), 287. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000094CrossRef

Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136–162). Sage.

Byrne, B. M. (2010). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications and programming. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Çelik, Ç. B., & Odacı, H. (2013). The relationship between problematic internet use and interpersonal cognitive distortions and life satisfaction in university students. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(3), 505–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.01.001CrossRef

Chawla, N., & Ostafin, B. (2007). Experiential avoidance as a functional dimensional approach to psychopathology: An empirical review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(9), 871–890. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20400CrossRefPubMed

Chervonsky, E., & Hunt, C. (2019). Emotion regulation, mental health, and social wellbeing in a young adolescent sample: A concurrent and longitudinal investigation. Emotion, 19(2), 270–282. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000432CrossRefPubMed

Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(2), 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5CrossRef

Chou, W. P., Lee, K. H., Ko, C. H., Liu, T. L., Hsiao, R. C., Lin, H. F., & Yen, C. F. (2017). Relationship between psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance and internet addiction: Mediating effects of mental health problems. Psychiatry Research, 257, 40–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.07.021CrossRefPubMed

Chou, W. P., Yen, C. F., & Liu, T. L. (2018). Predicting effects of psychological inflexibility/experiential avoidance and stress coping strategies for internet addiction, significant depression, and suicidality in college students: A prospective study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(4), 788. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040788CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Demirci, İ. (2019). The adaptation of the Bergen social media addiction scale to Turkish and its evaluation of relationship with depression and anxiety symptoms. Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry, 20(Suppl. 1), 15–22. https://doi.org/10.5455/apd.41585CrossRef

Ekşi, F. (2019). The mediating role of social media disorder in the relationship of experiential avoidance with psychological symptoms. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 6, 497–507. https://doi.org/10.15805/addicta.2019.6.3.002CrossRef

Ekşi, H., Turgut, T., & Sevim, E. (2019). The mediating role of general procrastination behaviors in the relationship between self-control and social media addiction in university students. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 6(3), 717–745. https://doi.org/10.15805/addicta.2019.6.3.0069CrossRef

Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). Norton.

Fulton, J. J., Kiel, E. J., Tull, M. T., & Gratz, K. L. (2014). Associations between perceived parental overprotection, experiential avoidance, and anxiety. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 5(2), 200–211. https://doi.org/10.5127/jep.034813CrossRef

Garcia-Oliva, C., & Piqueras, J. A. (2016). Experiential avoidance and technological addictions in adolescents. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(2), 293–303. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.5.2016.041CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Giordano, A. L., Schmit, M. K., & McCall, J. (2022). Exploring adolescent social media and internet gaming addiction: The role of emotion regulation. Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 44, 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaoc.12116CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D. (1996). Internet addiction: An issue for clinical psychology? Clinical Psychology Forum, 97, 32–36.

Griffiths, M. (2000). Internet addiction-time to be taken seriously? Addiction Research, 8(5), 413–418. https://doi.org/10.3109/16066350009005587CrossRef

Griffiths, M. (2005). A components model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework. Journal of Substance Use, 10(4), 191–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659890500114359CrossRef

Griffiths, M. D. (2013). Social networking addiction: Emerging themes and issues. Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy, 4(5). https://doi.org/10.4172/2155-6105.1000e118

Griffiths, M. D., Pontes, H., & Kuss, D. (2016). Online addictions: Conceptualization, debates and controversies. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 3(2), 151–164. https://doi.org/10.15805/addicta.2016.3.0101

Gross, J. J. (Ed.). (2007). Handbook of emotion regulation. The Guilford Press.

Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, and the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 639–665. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80013-3CrossRef

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change. Guilford.

Hsieh, K. Y., Hsiao, R. C., Yang, Y. H., Lee, K. H., & Yen, C. F. (2019). Relationship between self-identity confusion and internet addiction among college students: The mediating effects of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(17), 3225. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173225CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

İmamoğlu, E. O. (2003). Individuation and relatedness: Not opposing but distinct and complementary. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 129(4), 367–402.PubMed

JASP Team (2019). JASP (Version 0.11.1) [Computer software]. Retrieved December 13, 2023, from: https://jasp-stats.org/

Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (2007). Family, self and human development across cultures: Theory and applications (2nd ed.). Erlbaum.CrossRef

Kandell, J. J. (1998). Internet addiction on campus: The vulnerability of college students. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 1(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.1998.1.11CrossRef

Karakitapoğlu-Aygun, Z. (2004). Self, identity and well-being among Turkish university students. Journal of Psychology, 138(5), 457–478. https://doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.138.5.457-480CrossRefPubMed

Kashdan, T. B., Barrios, V., Forsyth, J. P., & Steger, M. F. (2006). Experiential avoidance as a generalized psychological vulnerability: Comparisons with coping and emotion regulation strategies. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(9), 1301–1320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.10.003CrossRefPubMed

Kashdan, T. B., Ferssizidis, P., Collins, R. L., & Muraven, M. (2010). Emotion differentiation as resilience against excessive alcohol use. Psychological Science, 21(9), 1341–1347. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610379863CrossRefPubMed

Kemp, S. (2023, January 26). Digital 2023: Global overview report. We are social. Retrieved December 13, 2023, from: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-global-overview-report?utm_source=DataReportal&utm_medium=Country_Article_Hyperlink&utm_campaign=Digital_2023&utm_term=Turkey&utm_content=Global_Promo_Block

Kerr, M. E., & Bowen, M. (1988). Family evaluation: An approach based on Bowen theory. W. W. Norton & Co.

Kircaburun, K. (2016). Self-esteem, daily ınternet use and social media addiction as predictors of depression among Turkish adolescents. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(24), 64–72. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1112856.pdf.

Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press.

Kocabıyık, O. O., & Bacıoğlu, S. D. (2022). Predictive roles of psychological resilience and coping skills on social media addiction. Current Approaches in Psychiatry, 14(Suppl 1), 137–146. https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1137812CrossRef

Kurşuncu, M. A. & Baştemur, Ş. (2020). The adaptation of the triangular relationship inventory into Turkish: The study of validity and reliability for university students. Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry, 21 (Supp. 2). https://doi.org/10.5455/apd.137794

Kuss, D. J., Griffiths, M. D., Karila, L., & Billieux, J. (2014). Internet addiction: A systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 20(25), 4026–4052. https://doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990617

Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 311. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030311

Kutlu, M., Savci, M., Demir, Y., & Aysan, F. (2016). Turkish adaptation of Young’s Internet Addiction Test-Short Form: A reliability and validity study on university students and Adolescents. Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry, 17(Suppl 1), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.5455/apd.190501CrossRef

Lei, L., & Wu, Y. (2007). Adolescents’ paternal attachment and Internet use. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(5), 633–639. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2007.9976CrossRef

Leung, L. (2014). Predicting internet risks: A longitudinal panel study of gratifications-sought, Internet addiction symptoms, and social media use among children and adolescents. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 2(1), 424–439. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2014.902316CrossRefPubMed

Li, W., Garland, E. L., & Howard, M. O. (2014). Family factors in internet addiction among Chinese youth: A review of English- and Chinese-language studies. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 393–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.11.004CrossRef

Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(2), 151–173. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_1CrossRef

Longstreet, P., & Brooks, S. (2017). Life satisfaction: A key to managing internet & social media addiction. Technology in Society, 50, 73–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2017.05.003CrossRef

Marino, C., Manari, T., Vieno, A., Imperato, C., Spada, M. M., Franceschini, C., & Musetti, A. (2023). Problematic social networking sites use and online social anxiety: The role of attachment, emotion dysregulation and motives. Addictive Behaviors, 138, 107572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107572CrossRefPubMed

Mayseless, O., & Scharf, M. (2009). Too close for comfort: Inadequate boundaries with parents and individuation in late adolescent girls. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 79(2), 191–202. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015623CrossRefPubMed

Milfont, T. L., & Fischer, R. (2010). Testing measurement invariance across groups: Applications in cross-cultural research. International Journal of Psychological Research, 3(1), 111–121. https://doi.org/10.21500/20112084.857CrossRef

Nadkarni, A., & Hofmann, S. G. (2012). Why do people use Facebook? Personality and Individual Differences, 52(3), 243–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.11.007CrossRefPubMed

Pawlikowski, M., Altstötter-Gleich, C., & Brand, M. (2013). Validation and psychometric properties of a short version of Young’s Internet Addiction Test. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(3), 1212–1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.10.014CrossRef

Pinheiro, R. T., Pinheiro, K. A. T., Magalhães, P. V. D. S., Horta, B. L., da Silva, R. A., Sousa, P. L. R., & Fleming, M. (2006). Cocaine addiction and family dysfunction: A case-control study in Southern Brazil. Substance Use & Misuse, 41(3), 307–316. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826080500409167CrossRef

Şahan, M., & Erarslan-Çapan, B. (2017). Ergenlerin problemli internet kullanımında kişilerarası ilişkilerle ilgili bilişsel çarpıtmaların ve sosyal kaygının rolü. Ege Eğitim Dergisi, 18(2), 887–913. https://doi.org/10.12984/egeefd.336391CrossRef

Sariçam, H., & Adam Karduz, F. F. (2018). The adaptation of the social media disorder scale to Turkish culture: Validity and reliability study. Journal of Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology, 9(2), 116–135. https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.335607CrossRef

Savci, M., & Aysan, F. (2017). Technological addictions and social connectedness: Predictor effect of internet addiction, social media addiction, digital game addiction and smartphone addiction on social connectedness. Dusunen Adam the Journal of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences, 30, 202–216. https://doi.org/10.5350/DAJPN2017300304CrossRef

Schumacker, R. E., & Lomax, R. G. (2016). A beginner’s guide to structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Routledge.

Su, W., Han, X., Yu, H., Wu, Y., & Potenza, M. N. (2020). Do men become addicted to internet gaming and women to social media? A meta-analysis examining gender-related differences in specific internet addiction. Computers in Human Behavior, 113, 106480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106480CrossRef

Sunar, D., & Fişek, G. (2005). Contemporary Turkish families. In U. Gielen & J. Roopnarine (Eds.), Families in global perspective (pp. 169–183). Allyn & Bacon.

Teymouri Farkush, F., Kachooei, M., & Vahidi, E. (2022). The relationship between shame and internet addiction among university students: The mediating role of experiential avoidance. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 27(1), 102–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2021.2025116CrossRef

Thompson, R. A. (2019). Emotion dysregulation: A theme in search of definition. Development and Psychopathology, 31, 805–815. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419000282CrossRefPubMed

Titelman, P. (2008). The concept of the triangle in Bowen Theory: An overview. In P. Titelman (Ed.), Triangles: Bowen family systems theory perspectives (pp. 3–63). The Haworth Press.

Tiwari, S., Podell, J. C., Martin, E. D., Mychailyszyn, M. P., Furr, J. M., & Kendall, P. C. (2008). Experiential avoidance in the parenting of anxious youth: Theory, research, and future directions. Cognition and Emotion, 22(3), 480–496. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930801886599CrossRef

Turkey Statistics Institute [TurkStat] (2023). Survey on information and communication technology (ICT) usage in households and by individuals. Retrieved December 13, 2023, from: http://www.tuik.gov.tr

Uyaroğlu, A. K., Ergin, E., Tosun, A. S., & Erdem, Ö. (2022). A cross-sectional study of social media addiction and social and emotional loneliness in university students in Turkey. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 58(4), 2263–2271. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.13056CrossRefPubMed

van Dijk, R., van der Valk, I. E., Vossen, H. G., Branje, S., & Deković, M. (2021). Problematic ınternet use in adolescents from divorced families: The role of family factors and adolescents’ self-esteem. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3385. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073385CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Wang, M., Liu, S., & Belsky, J. (2017). Triangulation processes experienced by children in contemporary China. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 41(6), 688–695. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025416662345CrossRef

World Health Organization (2019). ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity statistics. Retrieved December 13, 2023, from: https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en

Yavuz, F., Ulusoy, S., Iskin, M., Esen, F. B., Burhan, H. S., Karadere, M. E., & Yavuz, N. (2016). Turkish version of Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II): A reliability and validity analysis in clinical and non-clinical samples. Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 26(4), 397–408. https://doi.org/10.5455/bcp.20160223124107CrossRef

Young, K. S. (1998). Caught in the net: How to recognize the signs of ınternet addiction and a winning strategy for recovery. John Wiley & Sons.

Zendle, D., & Bowden-Jones, H. (2019). Is excessive use of social media an addiction? BMJ Clinical Research, 365, l2171. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l2171CrossRef

Title: Triangling in Family of Origin, Internet Addiction, and Social Media Addiction: What Is the Role of Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship?
Authors: Mustafa Alperen Kurşuncu
Mark D. Griffiths
Şule Baştemur
Fatih Şal
Publication date: 26-12-2023
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Addiction
Addiction
Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-023-01221-9

ERS Congress 2024

Springer Medicine

Triangling in Family of Origin, Internet Addiction, and Social Media Addiction: What Is the Role of Experiential Avoidance in the Relationship?

Abstract

ERS Congress 2024

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content