Muller, Sonia (2010) Loneliness and Self-Esteem as Predictors of Problematic Internet Use. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
There has been growing concerns about the impact of excessive or problematic internet use (PIU) on psychological wellbeing. While the internet addiction theory is most commonly used to define PIU, the current study will extend knowledge about the cognitive behavioural model of generalised problematic internet use (GPIU). Both loneliness and low self-esteem have been associated with PIU. The current study has three main research aims: (a) to investigate whether there is a relationship between the three types of loneliness (i.e., social, family, and romantic loneliness), self-esteem and GPIU, (b) to examine whether the three types of loneliness (i.e., social, family and romantic) and self-esteem predict GPIU, and (c) to conduct an exploratory investigation for age and gender differences among the variables. One hundred and sixty one participants (Female = 121, Male = 40) aged between 18 and 73 years, and who had internet access at home were recruited from the researchers’ personal networks, as well as the University of Southern Queensland psychology student pool. Participants completed a survey which included questions about demographics and internet usage as well as: (a) the short version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults to evaluate social, family, and romantic loneliness (SELSA-S; DiTommaso, Brannen, & Best, 2004), (b) the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1989), and (c) the Generalised Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2: Caplan, 2005). Correlation analysis found that self-esteem was significantly and negatively associated with GPIU, while only social and family loneliness were significantly and positively related to GPIU. Age was also significantly and negatively correlated with GPIU. Furthermore, it was found that only age made a significant unique contribution to the prediction of GPIU. The knowledge gained from the current research has important clinical implications, suggesting that psychologists consider screening clients, particularly young adults, for GPIU during the assessment phase of treatment planning. Future research should consider conducting much needed longitudinal research on the current combination of variables in an attempt to establish if GPIU will be sustained as young adults’ progress through the life span or whether GPIU is a phenomenon that only exists among young adults.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Passmore, Nola |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Psychology) |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Mar 2026 01:08 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Mar 2026 01:08 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52603 |
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