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The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support in the Relationship between Loneliness with Virtual Social Networks Addiction
Sepideh Talebzadeh1 , Hasan Ahadi *2 , Mastooreh Sedaghat3 , Javad Khalatbari4 , Taher Tizdast4
1- UAE Branch, Islamic Azad University
2- UAE Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
3- Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran
4- Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran
Abstract:   (252 Views)
The purpose of the present study was to investigate structural models of virtual social networks addiction based on loneliness with mediator role of perceived social support in students. The present research is correlation. The statistical population was all female students of first and second secondary school in Karaj city in academic year of 2023-2024. The sample size was selected based on Kline model (2023) and with convenience sampling (online method) of 400 students. Data collection tools included the networking addiction scale (SNAS) of Griffiths (2005), University of California, Los Angeles-loneliness scale, version 3 (UCLA LS3) of Russell (1996) and multidimensional perceived social support scale (MSPSS) of Zimet and et al. (1988). Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS and AMOS-28 software. The findings showed that the direct effect of loneliness and perceived social support were significant on virtual social networks addiction. Also, the results showed that perceived social support has a mediating role in relationship between loneliness with virtual social networks addiction. Also, proposed model had an acceptable fitness to the data (RMSEA=0/050, P-value<0/05) and analyses also revealed that %82 of variance of virtual social networks addiction was explained by loneliness through the mediating role of perceived social support. Therefore, based on the results of this research, it is suggested that the relationship between these variables should be taken into consideration in interventions addiction to social networks.
Keywords: Virtual social networks addiction, Loneliness, Perceived social support
     
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/04/9 | Revised: 2025/05/24 | Accepted: 2025/03/14 | ePublished ahead of print: 2025/05/24
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