INTEGRATING PSYCHOSOCIAL AND COGNITIVE PREDICTORS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICE ADDICTION TENDENCY USING STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING

Abstract

This study explored possible paths from psychosocial (i.e., covert narcissism, loneliness, and anxiety) and cognitive (i.e., social self-efficacy and preference for online social interaction) factors to social networking service (SNS) addiction tendency. Survey data collected from 513 college students were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The final model, which included with covert narcissism, loneliness, social anxiety, social self-efficacy, preference for online social interaction, and interpersonal motives for SNS use as predictors of SNS addiction tendency, resulted in reasonable fit to the data. The results indicate that considering both psychosocial and cognitive variables as predictors of SNS addiction is an effective way to more comprehensively understand the processes through which college students become addicted to SNS. The findings from this study have clinical implications for psychotherapy with clients addicted to SNS.