Does acceptance of power distance influence propensities for problematic Internet use? Evidence from a cross-cultural study

Christian Montag; Éilish Duke; Peng Sha; Min Zhou; Cornelia Sindermann; Mei Li

doi:10.1111/appy.12229

Does acceptance of power distance influence propensities for problematic Internet use? Evidence from a cross-cultural study

Asia Pac Psychiatry. 2016 Dec;8(4):296-301. doi: 10.1111/appy.12229. Epub 2015 Dec 17.

Authors

Christian Montag¹, Éilish Duke², Peng Sha³, Min Zhou⁴, Cornelia Sindermann⁵, Mei Li⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. christian.montag@uni-ulm.de.
² Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
⁴ Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
⁵ Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
⁶ Student Counselling Centre, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, China.

PMID: 26676764
DOI: 10.1111/appy.12229

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies suggest that Asian countries are particularly afflicted by problematic Internet use (PIU).

Methods: The present study investigates whether individual differences in the acceptance of power distance can be linked to overuse of the Internet in Germany and in China. Power distance has been discussed as an essential dimension on which Asian and Western societies differ. In the present study, we investigate two large non-clinical samples from Germany (n = 297) and China (n = 556) to address this question.

Results: Both in Germany and in China, high acceptance of power distance was positively associated with PIU. These effects were more pronounced in China compared with Germany. Moreover, the observed effects were stronger in males compared with females.

Discussion: Clearly, these findings are just a starting point and need to be replicated in the future. Clinical populations and a further important difference variable - collectivism - also merit consideration in future work.

Keywords: China; Germany; Internet addiction; collectivism; power distance.

MeSH terms

Adult
Behavior, Addictive / ethnology*
China / ethnology
Cross-Cultural Comparison*
Female
Germany / ethnology
Humans
Individuality*
Internet / statistics & numerical data*
Male
Power, Psychological*
Psychological Distance*
Sex Factors
Young Adult