Family communication patterns and internet addiction among Iranian female high school students: The mediating role of psychological needs satisfaction

Abstract

The prevalence of internet addiction in Iranian adolescents has been an increasing matter with a rising trend mostly in females. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of satisfying basic psychological needs in the relationship between family communication patterns and internet addiction among female high school students in Iran. For this purpose, 250 second-grade female students of Yasouj high schools were selected with a multi-stage cluster random sampling method and asked to answer Revised Family Communication Patterns, Psychological Basic Needs Satisfaction, and Internet Addiction questionnaires. The results showed that family communication patterns were related to basic psychological needs. In addition, greater psychological needs satisfaction was connected with low levels of internet addiction. The direct effect of family communication patterns on internet addiction was not significant. The indirect influence of family communication patterns on internet addiction through basic psychological needs was of significance. Thus, basic psychological needs mediated the relationship between family communication patterns and internet addiction.