A Study of Covert Narcissism in Adolescent Internet Addiction : Relationshipto Anonymity, Presence, Interactivity, and Achievement Motivation

Abstract

[h3]Objectives:[/h3]

This study compared covert narcissistic propensity in adolescents with internet addiction tendency to normaladolescents. Further, we investigated the correlation between such propensities and anonymity in cyberspace, presence feelingand interactivity in internet gaming, and achievement motivation in adolescents with internet addiction tendencies.

[h3]Methods:[/h3]

Male middle school students with internet addiction tendencies (Addiction Tendency Group, N=27) and normal students(Control Group, N=29) were recruited. The scale of internet use, Covert Narcissism Scale, scale of achievement motivation,scale of anonymity in cyberspace, scale of presence feeling in internet games, and the scale of interactivity in internet gameswere administered. A comparison of the average scores and correlation analyses were performed.

[h3]Results:[/h3]

1) Compared with Control Group, the Addiction Tendency Group showed significantly higher scores on all subscalesof the Covert Narcissism Scale, and both the scale of presence feeling and that of interactivity in internet games. Further, thescore on the scale of achievement motivation for the Addiction Tendency Group was significantly lower than that of the ControlGroup. 2) In the Addiction Tendency Group, the scores on several subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale were significantlypositively correlated with the scores on the scale of presence feeling in internet games, anonymity in cyberspace, and interactivityin internet games. However, in the Control Group, the scores of several subscales on the Covert Narcissism Scale were significantlynegatively correlated with the score on the scale of achievement motivation, and was significantly positively correlatedwith the score on the scale of interactivity in internet games. There were no other significant correlations between the scoreson the subscales of the Covert Narcissism Scale and the scores of either presence feeling in internet games or anonymity in cyberspace.

[h3]Conclusion:[/h3]

These results suggested that adolescents with a tendency to be addicted to the internet exhibited higher covertnarcissistic propensities than normal adolescents and that the covert narcissistic tendencies were related with presence feelingin cyber games as well as with anonymity in cyberspace.