The Mediating Role of Spiritual Intelligence in the Relationship between Moral Disengagement and Addiction to Virtual Networks in High School Students of Ardabil

Virtual networks are the most popular means of communication and information exchange, the widespread use of which has led to addiction. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of spiritual intelligence in the relationship between moral disengagement and addiction to virtual networks.

The research method used in the present study is descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all male students in the second year of high school in Ardabil public schools in the academic year of 2019-2020. From this community, a sample of 360 people was randomly selected by multi-stage cluster sampling and answered the questionnaires of addiction to virtual networks, moral awareness, and spiritual intelligence. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and structural relationships. In this study, all the ethical considerations were observed and the authors of the article did not report any conflict of interest.

The results of correlation coefficient showed that addiction to networks has a positive relationship with the score related to moral disengagement and its components and a negative relationship with the total score of spiritual intelligence. Spiritual intelligence also has a negative relationship with the overall score related to moral disengagement and its components (moral justification, useful comparison, resourceful language, shifting responsibility, spreading responsibility and inhumanity). Model fitness indicators also have confirmed the lack of effect of moral disengagement on becoming addicted to virtual networks through the mediation of spiritual intelligence.

Considering the role of moral disengagement and spiritual intelligence in addiction to virtual networks, holding educational workshops in schools to inform students about the effects of addiction to virtual networks and teaching aggression management skills and improving the level of spiritual intelligence is recommended.