Abstract
Recent studies have yielded initial evidence for an association between Internet Use Disorder (IUD), empathy, and life satisfaction. In the present study we sought to replicate these previous findings, and then to extend this research by also examining the relationship between empathy, life satisfaction, and the related phenomenon of Smartphone Use Disorder (SUD). The present study included independent samples from China (N = 612, 162 females) and Germany (N = 304, 207 females), with the same set of questionnaires administered to both samples. IUD was measured with Pawlikowski's s-IAT and SUD was assessed with the short version of Kwon's Smartphone Addiction Scale. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was used to assess individual differences in empathy. Please note that for the German sample data on the empathy quotient (EQ) are also available. Life satisfaction data were collected using items from the SOEP-Questionnaire (Socio-Economic Panel, Germany). In both of our samples we replicated previous findings showing the association between higher IUD, lower empathy, and lower life satisfaction scores. In addition, individuals with higher SUD showed higher scores on the IRI Personal Distress scale in China and Germany, while further associations between IRI dimensions and SUD were only found in the Chinese sample. Personal Distress is known to be highly correlated with the personality trait of Neuroticism, hence higher stress/negative emotionality in tense social situations is related to SUD. In the present study we confirm earlier findings showing the relationship between empathy, life satisfaction, and IUD, and extend some of these findings to SUD. We also emphasize the importance of cross-cultural studies when investigating IUD/SUD in the context of empathy and life satisfaction.
Highlights
The development and use of digital devices has changed the way people communicate, gather information, and access the Internet (e.g., Cui, 2016; Hayes et al, 2016)
Participants in the Chinese sample were younger than in the German sample [t(914) = 6.51, p < 0.001]. This effect was driven by 22 participants from the German sample who were older than 32 years
The results revealed a much higher level of Internet Use Disorder (IUD) and smartphone use disorder (SUD) in the Chinese sample compared to the German sample
Summary
The development and use of digital devices has changed the way people communicate, gather information, and access the Internet (e.g., Cui, 2016; Hayes et al, 2016). One device— the smartphone—has the potential to greatly influence human behavior due to its specific characteristics and functions: it is small enough to accompany the user in most situations, Empathy, Life Satisfaction and IUD/SUD it offers a variety of different functions, and it is user friendly (e.g., Poushter, 2016; Wang et al, 2016). These characteristics mean the smartphone has the potential to integrate very closely and conveniently with an individual’s daily life. The majority of users do not indicate problematic behavior in relation to their smartphone, and to date little is known about factors associated with an increased risk of developing a smartphone use disorder (SUD)
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