고등학생의 인터넷 중독경향과 기질특성의 관계

Relationship between Internet Addiction Tendency and Temperament Characteristics in High School Students

Objectives：The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between internet addiction tendency and temperament characteristics in high school students. Method：Participants were 280 high school students who resided in Anyang (male/female=148/132). The participants completed a standard questionnaire related to internet use patterns, the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), the Korea Internet Addiction Scale (KIAS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The subjects were classified into either a risk group or a non-risk group according to their KIAS scores. Results：There was no difference between male and female students in internet addiction tendencies. Compared to the non-risk group, the risk group showed significantly higher ‘novelty seeking’ and ‘harm avoidance’, lower ‘reward dependence’ and ‘persistence’, and a higher BDI score. Persistence was positively correlated with tolerance in the KIAS subscales. Conclusion：This study suggests that high school students with internet addiction tendencies have specific temperament characteristics.