台灣青少年網路成癮心理病理形成路徑之探究： 以心流理論解析線上與非線上的活動經驗品質

Abstract

目的：網路成癮常被視為逃避因應的不良後果：個體以網路為逃避生活問題的管道，沒有解決問題，反而造成更多問題。惡化的問題使人更加逃避到網路世界，享受網路上的正向經驗，形成惡性循環。過去研究尌指出網路成癮與負向感受、生活壓力及許多精神症狀為正相關；同時，也發現使用網路帶來心流經驗，即感到完全地投入、渾然忘我及不知時光飛逝的經驗。因此，本研究嘗詴驗證心流理論，並以此探討「網路成癮高危險者」與「生活適應痛苦者」在真實世界及線上世界的活動經驗品質之關連性，尋求支持網路成癮病理模式的證據。活動經驗品質包括活動掌握度、負向感受及心流感受。唸書、上網做功課及與同學相處代表真實世界活動，打電玩和上網聊天則為線上世界之代表。 方法：研究參與者為台北縣某國中自願參與並獲得家長同意的學生，共 1036名有效樣本（52%男性，48%女性，年齡11-15 歳）。參與者以匿名作答的方式，完成陳氏網路成癮量表（CIAS）、活動感受與心流量表（AAFI），以及簡式症狀量表（BSI）等自陳式問卷。 結果： （1）在心流理論的驗證上，無法支持當主觀知覺到的技能與難度相當時，個體有最多的心流感受；而是在技能越高、難度越低時，心流感受越強烈。 （2）網路成癮高危險組的真實世界活動經驗品質較低危險組傾向不佳，尤其是唸書；線上世界活動經驗品質較佳，尤其是打電玩。（3）高生活適應痛苦者的真實世界活動經驗品質較低痛苦者傾向不佳，特別是唸書及與同學相處；高、低痛苦者 在線上世界活動經驗品質雖然有差異，但較不突顯。（4）網路成癮發展模型得到支持。 討論：上述研究結果顯示，個體在不同的活動有不同的活動經驗品質，真實與線上世界活動可能在網路成癮發展歷程中，分別扮演不同的角色。此結果支持網路成癮為個體逃離生活壓力至網路，並受到網路正向經驗吸引，進而成癮之觀點。 此外，本研究亦討論網路成癮者與生活適應痛苦者的活動經驗品質之相似及相異處。最後，將論及本研究之臨床意涵、限制與未來研究方向。

OBJECTIVE: Internet addiction was often thought to be a detrimental outcome of avoidance coping to real-life stress and problems. However, such approach seems often unlikely to solve the problems, but rather worsens them. Consequently, the aggravating problems may fall in a vicious cycle, in that the individuals are more prone to escaping from life distress into the attraction to the enjoyment on the Internet. Existing studies have shown the associations among Internet addiction, negative affects, and several psychiatric symptoms. It is also suggested that the Internet brings in flow experience, that is the experience of being totally involved in one activity, temporarily unaware of self, and lacking sense of time. Therefore, in order to search for the evidences supporting the etiological model of Internet addiction based on the flow theory, the present study aimed to examine the associations between online and offline activity experience qualities with high-risk group of Internet addiction disorder (IAD) and individuals with high life distress. Activity experience qualities included mastering degree, negative and flow affects. While offline activities eferred to doing traditional curricular study, online studying, and interacting with classmates; playing video games and online chatting represented online activities.

METHOD: We recruited a valid sample of 1036 (52%M, 48%F, age range = 11-15 years old) junior high school students in Taipei. After both students and their parents signed an informed consent, participants anonymously completed a booklet of self-report questionnaire assessing overall Internet addiction tendency, activity experience qualities, and life distress. RESULTS: 1) For examination of flow theory, different from the hypothesis that individuals may experience most flow experiences when they perceived balance between activity difficulties and personal skills, participants experienced stronger flow affects upon the conditions of higher skills and lower difficulties. 2) Compared with low-risk group, high-risk group of IAD tended to perceive offline activity experience with poorer qualities, especially for curricular study; in high-risk group, online experiences were viewed as better qualities, particularly while they were playing video games. 3) High life distress group tended to report poorer offline activity experience qualities than low distress group, especially in doing curricular study and interacting with classmates. 4) The proposed Internet addiction etiological model that Internet addicts may escape from their life demands and crave for the pleasure on the Internet was supported. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that online and offline activities may play different roles in the development of IAD, because that the individuals had different experience qualities on various activities. The Internet may display various attractions to those who would temporarily escape from their life demands and indulge into the Internet world, and may thus lead them to become Internet addicts. Furthermore, the similarities and differences of experience qualities between Internet addicts and distressed people were discussed. Finally, limitations of the study as well as suggestions for clinical implications and future research are discussed.