Abstract

The purpose of this study was to verify the moderating effect of cognitive flexibility, known as a protective factor of addiction, in the relationship between behavioral activation system (BAS) and Internet addiction. A total of 307 undergraduate participants in Seoul completed the behavioral activation system (BAS) Scale, the cognitive flexibility scale (CFI), and the Korean version of the Internet addiction scale (K-scale). The main results of this study were as follows. First, the total score of BAS and subscales of BAS (reward, fun) showed significant positive correlations with Internet addiction. On the other hand, the total score of CFI and subscales of CFI (alternative, control) showed significant negative correlations with Internet addiction. Second, in the Process macro for SPSS analysis results, CFI-control presented a moderation effect on the relationship between BAS and Internet addiction. Based on the results, the following was proposed; cognitive flexibility to recognize that the situation is controllable can be useful in alleviating excessive Internet use, even if the urge and longing for Internet use is high due to overactivation of BAS. Finally, the implications and limitations of this study are discussed.