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Community Mental Health Journal
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal 1/2011

01-02-2011 | Original Paper

The Effects of Escape from Self and Interpersonal Relationship on the Pathological Use of Internet Games

Authors: Jung-Hye Kwon, Chung-Suk Chung, Jung Lee

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether Baumeister’s escape from self theory may account for the pathological use of Internet games among Korean adolescents. A sample of 1,136 junior high school students completed measures assessing Internet game addiction (IGA), real-ideal self discrepancy, escape from self, current mood, peer relationships, perceived parent-child relationship, and parental supervision. IGA was significantly correlated with all of these variables. Multiple regression analysis showed that escape from self best explained the adolescents’ IGA. A path model yielded significant paths from self-discrepancy to negative mood, from negative mood to escape from self, and from escape from self to IGA. These results support the validity of using the escape from self theory to explain the adolescents’ IGA, thereby suggesting that adolescents become addicted to Internet games in an attempt to escape from self and reality.
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Metadata
Title
The Effects of Escape from Self and Interpersonal Relationship on the Pathological Use of Internet Games
Authors
Jung-Hye Kwon
Chung-Suk Chung
Jung Lee
Publication date
01-02-2011
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 1/2011
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-009-9236-1

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