DISSERTATIONS 2013

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF PATHOLOGICAL INTERNET USE

Ivelise Fortim

Advisor: Ceres Alves de Araujo, PhD
Keywords: Internet; Pathological Internet use ; behavioral dependence ; Analytical Psychology; Internet addiction

ABSTRACT: The goal is to understand the experience of pathological internet use ( UPI ) from self-reported users who declare themselves " internet addicts " . This is a qualitative research , being a documentary and retrospective study. The data are treated : ( i ) using the SPAD -T and ( ii ) using program analysis categories , which are analyzed by Jungian psychology . The sample was 189 subjects , who sent 278 messages, collected in the period from 02 /2001 to 06/ 2011. The results indicate that the most common misuse of internet in the sample are for communication, for sexual purposes and for navigation. Four psychological aspects can be highlighted : (i ) the control dynamic : the internet allows the user to have a sense of greater control over relations with others and the self image , (ii ) UPI allows coping with situations of anxiety , (iii ) the activities done in internet are seen at the same time as illusory and real (iv ) many subjects use this because it allow to liberating inner self ; it may be the darker aspects of self, inappropriate sexual behavior and aggressive aspects. Many users have reported serious negative consequences, such as impairments in work, social commitment , losses in studies , etc. . It is concluded that the internet is not harmful in itself, but may provide a pathological use with serious consequences for certain users who are in vulnerable situations and use the internet to relieve the problems. As the main psychological dynamics, a question regarding the persona and shadow highlighted .