“Journal of Education Culture and Society” 2014 issue 1
Elaborating on Internet addiction and cyberchondria – relationships, direct and mediated effects
Eliza Ivanova
Department of General, Experimental, and Genetic Psychology, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria
E-mail address: elizaxivanova@gmail.com
Sonya Karabeliova
Department of General, Experimental, and Genetic Psychology, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria
E-mail address: karabeliovasonya@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The present paper focuses on the effects of personality traits on the levels of Internet addiction and cyberchondria and their consequent effects on well-being. For the purposes of the research, mediation analyses were carried out, clarifying the influence of personality traits on well-being mediated by Internet addiction, cyberchondria and anxiety aroused by online health information seeking. It was established that Neuroticism leads to decreased well-being through the mediating influence of health anxiety, escalation and persistence of health concerns. Health anxiety is a mediator in the relationship between Openness to Experience and well-being. It was established that low levels of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and high levels of Openness, and Neuroticism, influence Internet addiction, which in turn leads to decreased well-being. Furthermore, we established the mediated influence of Internet addiction on the tendency for cyberchondria and health anxiety through using the Internet for health information and judgment biases.
Key words: Internet addiction, cyberchondria, personality traits, well-being, mediation analysis.
DOI: 10.15503/jecs20141-127-144
