The model of structural relationships of the role of parenting styles and intolerance of uncertainty in internet addiction tendency with the mediation of experiential avoidance in adolescents

Internet addiction is a global public health problem among adolescents, which is associated with a wide range of negative consequences.

The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the pattern of structural relationships of the role of parenting styles and intolerance of uncertainty in the tendency of internet addiction with the mediation of experiential avoidance in adolescents.

The research method was descriptive and correlation based on structural equations. The statistical population of all male students of the second year of high school was studying in the government schools of Ardabil city in the academic year of 2022-2023. From this population, a sample of 180 people was selected using available sampling method and answered the questionnaires of Internet Addiction (1996), Experimental Avoidance (2011), Parenting Styles (1972) and Intolerance of Uncertainty (2007). SPSS version 25 and SmartPLS version 4 software were used to analyze the collected data.

The results of structural equations showed that authoritarian style (β=0.17, P=0.001) and permissive style (β=0.39, P=0.001) and intolerance of uncertainty (β=0.27, P=0.001) have a positive and direct effect on internet addiction, and authoritative style has a negative and direct effect on internet addiction (β=-0.21, P=0.001). Also, the results of indirect effects showed that experiential avoidance mediates the relationship between parenting styles and intolerance of uncertainty with internet addiction (P=0.05).

The results showed that parenting styles and intolerance of uncertainty are important factors of internet addiction that affect internet addiction through the mediation of experiential avoidance; Therefore, psychologists and school counselors are advised to hold workshops aimed at reducing and preventing internet addiction among adolescents.