ISSN 0439-755X
CN 11-1911/B
主办:中国心理学会
   中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

心理学报 ›› 2016, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (10): 1282-1291.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2016.01282

• 论文 • 上一篇    下一篇

基于QQ空间的社交网站使用对青少年抑郁的影响:上行社会比较和自尊的序列中介作用

牛更枫;孙晓军;周宗奎;孔繁昌;田媛   

  1. (青少年网络心理与行为教育部重点实验室; 华中师范大学心理学院, 武汉 430079)
  • 收稿日期:2015-09-17 发布日期:2016-10-25 出版日期:2016-10-25
  • 通讯作者: 周宗奎, E-mail: zhouzk@mail.ccnu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:

    国家社科基金重大项目(11&ZD151)、国家自然科学青年基金项目(31400887)和华中师范大学中央高校基本科研业务费重大培育项目(CCNU14Z02004, CCNU15A02042)资助。孙晓军为共同第一作者。

The impact of social network site (Qzone) on adolescents’ depression: The serial mediation of upward social comparison and self-esteem

NIU Gengfeng; SUN Xiaojun; ZHOU Zongkui; KONG Fanchang; TIAN Yuan   

  1. (Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China)
  • Received:2015-09-17 Online:2016-10-25 Published:2016-10-25
  • Contact: ZHOU Zongkui, E-mail: zhouzk@mail.ccnu.edu.cn

摘要:

为探讨社交网站(QQ空间)使用对青少年抑郁的影响及其作用机制, 在社会比较和抑郁易感性模型的视角下, 采用社交网站使用强度问卷、上行社会比较问卷、自尊量表和抑郁量表, 对964名中学生进行调查。结果表明:(1)在控制了性别、年龄以及社交网站使用年限后, 社交网站使用对抑郁和社交网站中的上行社会比较都有显著的正向预测作用; (2)社交网站使用能通过社交网站中的上行社会比较和自尊的中介作用对抑郁产生影响, 且该中介作用包含了两条路径——上行社会比较的单独中介作用以及上行社会比较−自尊的链式中介作用。本研究揭示了社交网站使用与抑郁的关系及其作用机制, 深化了社交网站使用对个体影响的研究。

关键词: 社交网站, 上行社会比较, 自尊, 抑郁, 青少年

Abstract:

With the rapid rise and increasing popularity all over the world, social network site (SNS) has become an important platform for interpersonal interaction, especially among adolescents. The impact of SNS use has become the focus of relevant studies. Empirical evidence has suggested a complex mechanism in the relationship between SNS use and psychological adaptions. In particular, SNS offers abundant opportunities for social comparison with detailed information about others. Besides, users tend to present an idealized version of the self on SNS. Therefore, the majority of the social comparative information that individuals receive on SNS may lean in upward comparison, which may cause people to feel inadequate, and have poorer self-evaluations and low self-esteem. The social rank theory of depression claimed that the feeling of subordination was the mechanism that can trigger depression. The vulnerability model of depression also stated that low self-esteem might cause the onset and maintenance of depression. Since depression is a common psychological problem for adolescents, this study aimed to investigate the effect of SNS (Qzone, which is the most popular SNS among Chinese adolescents) use on depression as well as its mechanism. We hypothesized that upward social comparison on SNS and self-esteem may mediate the relationship between SNS use and depression. A sample of 964 adolescents (mean age = 14.23 years, SD = 1.27) were recruited for the study. They were required to complete a battery of questionnaires, including Intensity of SNS use Scale, Upward Social Comparison Measure on SNS, Rosenberg Self-esteem scale and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Based on the social comparison theory and the vulnerability model of depression, a multiple mediation model was constructed to analyze the mediating effects of upward social comparison on SNS and self-esteem in the association between SNS use and depression. The data were analyzed by the Mplus 7.0. Results indicated that: (1) After controlling for gender, age, and years of SNS use, SNS use was positively correlated with upward social comparison on SNS and depression, while negatively correlated with self-esteem; upward social comparison on SNS was positively correlated with depression, while negatively correlated with self-esteem; and self-esteem was negatively correlated with depression. (2) Mediation analysis revealed that SNS use could affect depression through the mediation of upward social comparison on SNS and self-esteem. The mediation effect contained two paths, the separate mediation effect of upward social comparison, and the serial mediation effect of upward social comparison and self-esteem. In summary, this study uncovered the mechanism underlying the relationship between SNS use and depression, which contributes to the understanding of the complex mechanism between SNS use and its outcomes. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the upward social comparison induced by SNS may be one of the key factors in the aforementioned relationship between SNS use and depression. Future studies should investigate the effect of SNS in a more comprehensive and objective manner, paying attention to the potential risk of SNS use, as well as the specific experience and feelings on SNS.

Key words: social networking site, upward social comparison, self-esteem, depression, adolescents