Causal Model of Problematic Internet Use Based on Basic Psychological Needs by Mediating Emotion Regulation and Avoidance Coping Strategies

IntroductionThe use of the internet has impacted various facets of human life, and its uncontrolled use is linked to multiple risks such as personal and social harms. With increased needs for internet use, alongside its benefits, the likelihood of problems, particularly Problematic Internet Use (PIU) among youth and students, rises. PIU can be caused by engaging in uncontrolled use, such as gaming, consuming adult content, or using social networking platforms. Internet addiction is characterized by obsessive and uncontrolled use of virtual programs that can lead to significant disruption and dysfunction in users' psychological, social, academic, and occupational functioning. Consequently, this study seeks to understand the impact of various variables, such as cognitive emotion regulation strategies, avoidance coping, and basic psychological needs, on PIU. The study aims to investigate whether emotion regulation and avoidance coping strategies play a mediating role in the association between basic psychological needs and PIU.2. Literature ReviewA review of the literature indicates that addictive behaviors are commonly associated with inadequate positive emotion regulation strategies and ineffective coping with emotions, particularly in the initial stages of addiction (Clarke et al., 2020, pp.21-22). Additionally, studies have suggested that when individuals experience distress, avoidance coping strategies may lead to adverse circumstances that provoke negative emotions, causing people to spend more time on the internet to evade them (Piri et al., 2019, p.44). Furthermore, research findings demonstrate a negative correlation between internet addiction and problem-focused coping strategies, and a positive correlation between emotion-focused and avoidance coping strategies (Bahadori et al., 2011, p.183).3. MethodologyThe research method used in this study is a descriptive, correlational approach that aimed to investigate the relationship between internet addiction, cognitive and emotional regulation strategies, basic psychological needs, and coping mechanisms. The study population was all students from the Islamic Azad University, Central and Karaj Branches, with an estimated total of 25,000 individuals. The sampling method used was a multi-stage cluster sampling approach, where three clusters were randomly selected from the Islamic Azad University, including the Central and Karaj Branches. In the next stage, three classes were randomly selected from each of t