Self-Control, Consideration of Future Consequences, and Internet Addiction among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Deviant Peer Affiliation

Jingjing Li, Yanhan Chen, Jiachen Lu, Weidong Li and Chengfu Yu
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Jingjing Li: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Yanhan Chen: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Jiachen Lu: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Weidong Li: School of Physical Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Chengfu Yu: Research Center of Adolescent Psychology and Behavior, Department of Psychology, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-10

Abstract: Although a large number of studies have indicated that self-control was an important predictive factor for adolescent internet addiction, the moderating and mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. To address this research gap, the present study, according to social learning theory and the organism–environment interaction theory, tested whether consideration of future consequences mediated the relation between self-control and adolescent internet addiction and whether deviant peer affiliation moderated the relationship between consideration of future consequences and internet addiction. Using longitudinal tracking (two-time points and the interval is 6 months). Three middle schools in Guangzhou were randomly selected. The participants were 1182 students ranging in age from 12 to 15 years (average age: 14.16, SD = 1.29) from three middle schools in Guangzhou (651 boys and 531 girls) in Guangdong Province. Results showed that consideration of future consequences mediated the relationship between self-control and internet addiction. Furthermore, the relationship between future consequence consideration and internet addiction was moderated by deviant peer affiliation. These findings highlighted the potential mediating role of consideration of future consequences in linking self-control to adolescent internet addiction. We also found high deviant peer affiliation weakens the protective effect of future consequence consideration on Internet addiction. This study may provide support for adolescent Internet addiction prevention and have some educational implications.

Keywords: self-control; internet addiction; consideration of future consequences; deviant peer affiliation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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