Predicting Facebook Addiction: The Roles of Mental Health Continuum and Dispositional Hope

Abstract

Results of recent research on Facebook use have shown Facebook can be used with motivations like compensating perceived inadequacies, regulating mood or escaping from the real life problems and this can be lead to Facebook addiction. Considering Facebook is one of most popular websites and social networks in terms of number of users, examining variables related Facebook overuse necessary. In this context, aim of the present study is to examine roles of dispositional hope and mental health continuum predicting Facebook addiction. Sample of study includes 410 university students and all of them are Facebook users. Demographic Data Form developed by researchers, Dispositional Hope Scale and Mental Health Continuum Short Form were used as data collection instruments. Before analysis, normal distribution data was tested. In analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Pearson correlation coefficient yielded significant and negative relationships between Facebook addiction and pathways (r=-0.283, p<0.05) and agency (r=-0.211, p<0.05) sub-dimensions of dispositional hope. Besides, Facebook addiction was found negatively correlated to social well-being (r=-0.230, p<0.05) and psychological well-being (r=-0.252, p<0.05) sub-dimensions of mental health continuum. Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed pathways (B=-0.292, p<0.01), agency (B= -0.224, p<0.05) sub-dimensions hope and psychological well-being (B=-0.123, p<0.05) sub-dimension mental health continuum were significant predictors of Facebook Addiction. Overall model explained 24 % of total variance Facebook Addiction. Results of study showed pathways and agency sub-dimensions of dispositional hope and psychological well-being subdimension of mental health continuum are meaningful predictors of Facebook addiction.

Keywords

• bağımlılık, facebook, ruh sağlığı, umut