Psychological Needs and Internet Addiction in Adolescents: Emotional Abuse and Emotional Autonomy as Mediators

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of emotional abuse and emotional autonomy in the relationship between internet addiction and psychological need motivations towards the internet in adolescents. The data for this cross-sectional study were collected from 412 adolescents between December 2023 and March 2025. For data collection, the Internet Addiction Scale, Psychological Needs Scale, Emotional Abuse Scale, and Emotional Autonomy Scale were used. Direct and indirect roles were tested with structural equation modelling (SEM). Analyses showed that psychological need motivations towards the internet were positively correlated with internet addiction (r = .389, p < .01) and emotional abuse (r = .298, p < .01) and negatively correlated with the emotional autonomy total score (r = −.231, p < .01). Psychological need motivations were negatively associated with emotional autonomy (β = −.234, p < .001) and positively associated with emotional abuse (β = .277, p < .01). At the same time, psychological need motivations were positively associated with internet addiction (β = .273, p < .001). Emotional autonomy was negatively associated with emotional abuse (β = −.264, p < .001) and internet addiction (β = −.165, p < .05), whereas emotional abuse was positively associated with internet addiction (β = .208, p < .01). Furthermore, the indirect association between psychological need motivations and internet addiction through emotional autonomy and emotional abuse was statistically significant (β = .109, p < .001). In conclusion, it was determined that psychological need motivation towards the internet was directly associated with internet addiction. Emotional abuse and emotional autonomy play mediating roles in this relationship.