Journal of Education and Psychology

Abstract

This study aims to explore hostility of Internet users while they are online using Bulletin Board System. Subjects were 464 undergraduate students who were asked to answer a digital questionnaire encompassed of 4 sections: Internet hostility Questionnaire, Chinese Internet Addiction scale, Perceptions of Internet Influences on Lives, and background information. Major results are: First, Internet users confirmed that BBSs are filled with attacks, often personally derogatory, and destructive messages. Attacks are easily found in public forums, such as campus news board. However, subjects reported that they were often lurkers but not participants of those fighting events. Second, those having more offensive experiences in BBS gained higher Internet hostility scores while male were more hostile than female on the Net. Third, users with stronger tendency of Internet addiction did spend longer online, perceive Internet as having more negative influences towards lives, and experience higher degree of Internet hostility. Men were more vulnerable than women in Internet problematic use. The Social disinhibition model was confirmed that time spent online can directly predict Internet problematic use and the frequency of Internet conflicts. Then frequency of Internet conflicts can indirectly predict Internet problematic use through Internet hostility.

_{[Chinese Version | Index | Journal of Education and Psychology | Other Journals | Subscription form | Enquiry ]}

Mail any comments and suggestions to hkier-journal@cuhk.edu.hk .