Modeling Structural Relationships of Metacognitive States With Tendency to Virtual Networks Through Mediating of Social Adjustment in Gifted Students

Cyberspace covers many aspects of human life and the tendency to cyberspace can influence his cognitive and emotional aspects.

Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to model the structural relationships of metacognitive states and the tendency to virtual networks mediated by the social adjustment in gifted students.

This correlational-descriptive research using structural equations modeling was conducted on all 300 eleventh grade gifted students of Sampad High School studying experimental sciences in the academic year 2019 in Gorgan city. A total of 300 students were selected through the census method and evaluated by the Virtual Networks Questionnaire by Mojarradi et al. State Metacognitive Inventory by O’Neill & Abedi, and California Test of Personality. Data analysis was done by structural equation modeling using SPSS 18 and Amos 23 software.

The results showed a significant negative relationship between metacognitive states and social adjustment, and tendency to virtual networks (P≤0.01). The research model was well-fit and confirmed. Also, 0.31 of the variance of the tendency to virtual networks was explained by metacognitive states and social adjustment and social adaptability played a mediating role in the relationship between metacognitive states and the tendency to virtual networks (P≤0.01).

Changes in tendency to cybersecurity can be explained directly based on metacognitive and indirect social adjustment states in gifted students. This study has practical implications for school counselors.