The effect of approval dependence and empathy on excessive internet use through social benefit among university students

Objective: The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between approval dependence, empathy and excessive internet use mediated with social benefit variable. Methods: 284 women and 382 men participated in this study. Participants completed Problematic Internet Use Scale, Scale of Dimensions of Interpersonal Relation-ships and information sheet. Path analysis was utilized to test he hypothesized causal model. Results: The results of the study demonstrated that social benefit mediated the relationship between approval dependence and exces-sive internet use. Also social benefit mediated the relationship between empathy and excessive internet use. Conc-lusion: University students who have higher level of approval dependence and lower level of empathy obtained more social benefit from internet and this lead to increase in excessive internet use [Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg 2015; 16(1.000): 30-36]