Social Control of Trolling and Flaming Behaviors among Iranian Users: A Non-Recursive Model

The current quantitative study aimed at examining the effects of Low Self-Control, Negative Interpersonal Relationships, and Depression on social control of trolling and flaming behaviors among Iranian users. A self-made questionnaire which went through validity and reliability assessment, was administered, and 989 participants filled it out. After conducting confirmatory factor analysis, and validity assessment of the measurement model, a full latent variable model was drawn up employing Maximum Likelihood estimation, and Bootstrap. The model was non-recursive as Low Self-Control, Negative Interpersonal Relationships, and Depression variables were non-recursive and had reciprocal relationships. The results showed that Low Self-Control increases Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors, and also Depression, and Negative Interpersonal Relationships. Low Self-Control acts as a mediator between Depression and Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors, and also between Negative Interpersonal Relationships and Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors through Depression. The results also demonstrated that Depression has no direct effect on Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors, but it has an indirect effect through Low Self-Control, on Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors. Negative Interpersonal Relationships have also no direct effect on Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors, but they have an indirect effect through Depression, and Low Self-Control, on Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors. The important contribution of the current study is the recognition of the role of self-control as a mediator among examined variables. The findings of this study can be employed to devise new policies and initiatives to socially control the Trolling/ Flaming Behaviors, without applying coercion.