Moderating Role of Social Support in the Relationship between Interpersonal Sensitivity and Cyber Addiction

internet is playing a significant role for expanding our social communication. Thus, the purpose of the present research was determining the moderating role of social support in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and cyberspace addiction.

The research design was descriptive and correlational. The study population consisted of undergraduate students at Azad University of Lahijan in the academic year 1397-1398, among whom 282 participated as sample in this research based on Cochran formula with a sampling error of 0.01 by applying multistage cluster random sampling method. Young’s diagnostic questionnaire for internet addiction (1966), Parker & Boyce’s interpersonal sensitivity measure (1989), and Sherburne & Stewart’s social support survey (1991) were distributed and data path analysis was carried out by AMOS and data correlation analysis was conducted by SPSS.

The data analysis revealed a positive correlation (p < 0.01) between Internet addiction and interpersonal sensitivity, Internet addiction and social support, and between social support and interpersonal sensitivity. Furthermore, path analysis results showed that the path of interpersonal sensitivity and internet dependency (β=0.16) at the level of 0.05, the path of interpersonal sensitivity and social support (β=0.33) and social support to Internet dependency (β=0.40) at the level of 0.01 are statistically significant and meaningful.

Social support and interpersonal sensitivity can play prominent roles in Internet dependency as key variables. Hence, proper preventive measures should be taken for the betterment of the society’s mental health.