Abstract

LOSS, Andrea; GUERRA, Valeschka M.  and  SOUZA, Mariane L.. Association Between Internet Use, Ruminative Self-Consciousness, and Gender Differences in University Students. Av. Psicol. Latinoam. [online]. 2021, vol.39, n.1, pp.1-14.  Epub Sep 30, 2021. ISSN 1794-4724.  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/apl/a.8596.

Uncontrolled use of the Internet is already considered a public health problem in some countries. From a psychological perspective, evidence suggests a relationship between the uncontrolled use of the Internet and the ruminative self-consciousness (when attention is directed towards a negative self-assessment), which, in turn, may be associated with mental disorders. In this sense, the present research had the objective of verifying the relationships between the variable level of Internet use, self-consciousness styles (ruminative and reflexive), and gender in young university students. The participants in the quantitative study were 450 university students between 18 and 25 years (50 % female) who answered the Internet Dependence Test and the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire. The data were submitted to descriptive and inferential statistical analyses (t Test for Independent Samples, analysis of variance, and multiple linear regressions). The results show that the style of ruminative self-consciousness is significantly associated with the female gender. The multiple linear regression for each gender, considering the uncontrolled use of the Internet as a dependent variable, indicated that, for both male and female participants, ruminative self-consciousness directly and significantly explained the uncontrolled use of the Internet. The implications of the association of the ruminative style to psychological maladaptation and its possible interference in the level of Internet use are discussed as obstacles to the perception of the triggers that foster addiction and the search for conflict resolution and problems related to the uncontrolled use of the Internet.

Keywords : Internet use behavior; ruminative and reflexive self-consciousness; gender; undergraduate students.

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