Implicit and explicit self-esteem in the context of internet addiction

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Internet Addiction Research

Background:

• Damaged self-esteem (low explicit, high implicit self-esteem) is linked to psychological distress and clinical disorders like depression.
• Internet addiction is associated with low explicit self-esteem and psychological distress.
• The relationship between Internet addiction and implicit self-esteem remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the phenomenon of damaged self-esteem in individuals with Internet addiction.
• To examine the association between Internet addiction severity and both explicit and implicit self-esteem.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted utilizing the Initial Preference Task to measure implicit self-esteem.
• Participants' levels of Internet addiction, explicit self-esteem, and implicit self-esteem were assessed.

Main Results:

• Individuals with high Internet addiction scores demonstrated low explicit self-esteem.
• High Internet addiction scores were also associated with high implicit self-esteem, specifically when using first name initials.
• The effect was not observed when using last name initials, suggesting differential measurement properties.

Conclusions:

• The study supports the hypothesis that damaged self-esteem is present in individuals with Internet addiction.
• First and last name initials may measure distinct facets of implicit self-esteem.
• Findings contribute to understanding the psychological underpinnings of Internet addiction.