Examining the Relationships between Internet Addiction, Social Appearance Anxiety, and Social Exclusion
Abstract
The aim of the study is to reveal the predictive relationships between internet addiction, social appearance anxiety, and social exclusion among university students. The model of the research is the relational screening model. The study group consists of 516 university students, 429 female (83,1%) and 87 male (16,9%), studying in different faculties and departments. The participants are between the ages of 17 and 30, with an average age of 20,13. Data were collected using the “Young Internet Addiction Test – Short Form”, “Social Appearance Anxiety Scale” and “Social Exclusion Scale” measurement tools. When the findings obtained from the correlation analysis were examined, significance was found in the relationships between university students' internet addiction levels and social appearance anxiety, being ignored and excluded. Additionally, the relationship between social appearance anxiety and being ignored and exclusion was also positive and significant. According to the path analysis results, the being ignored dimension of social exclusion significantly predicted both social appearance anxiety and internet addiction. Social appearance anxiety positively and significantly predicted internet addiction. It was concluded that the model created between internet addiction, social appearance anxiety, being ignored, and being excluded demonstrated a good fit. The findings were discussed in relation to the literature.
References
- Abayhan, Y., & Aydın, O. (2014). Sosyal Etki Kuramı bağlamında psikolojik dışlanma: Dışlayan ve dışlanan grup üyesi sayısının temel ihtiyaçlara yönelik tehdit algısı üzerindeki etkisi [Ostracism in the context of the Social Impact Theory: The effect of numbers of source and target on four fundamental needs]. Türk Psikoloji Dergisi, 29(73), 108-121.
- Akar, F. (2017). Purposes and characteristics of internet use of adolescents. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 7(2), 257-286. https://doi.org/10.14527/pegegog.2017.010
- Akın, A., Uysal, R. & Akın, Ü. (2016). Ergenler için Ostrasizm (sosyal dışlanma) Ölçeğinin Türkçe’ye uyarlanması [The validity and reliability of Turkish version of the Ostracism Experience Scale for adolescents]. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 24(2), 895-904. https://izlik.org/JA82LJ23XC
- Aktaş, E. (2020). Ergenlerin ebeveyne bağlanma stilleri ile sosyal görünüş kaygısı ve sosyal dışlanma düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [Examination of the relationship between adolescents' parenting attachment styles and social appearance anxiety and social exclusion]. (Master’s thesis, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkiye). Retrieved From https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp
- Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469
- Arslan, G., & Coşkun, M. (2022). Social exclusion, self-forgiveness, mindfulness, and internet addiction in college students: A moderated mediation approach. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20(4), 2165-2179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00506-1
- Balcı, Ş., & Gülnar, B. (2013). Üniversite öğrencileri arasında internet bağımlılığı ve iternet bağımlılarının profili [Internet addiction among university students and the profile of internet addicts]. Selçuk İletişim, 6(1), 5-22. https://izlik.org/JA34AR87CA
- Baltacı, U. B., Yılmaz, M., & Traş, Z. (2021). The relationships between ınternet addiction, social appearance anxiety and coping with stress. International Education Studies, 14(5), 135-144. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v14n5p135
- Büyüköztürk Ş. (2004). Veri analizi el kitabı. Ankara, Türkiye: Pegem A Yayıncılık.
- Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. & Demirel, F. (2016). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara, Türkiye: Pegem Yayıncılık.
- Byrne, B. M. (2016). Structural equation modeling with Amos: Basic concepts, applications and Programming (3rd Edition.). Routledge.
- Carleton, R. N., Collimore, K. C., & Asmundson, G. J. (2007). Social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation: Construct validity of the BFNE-II. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21(1), 131-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.03.010
- Çakmak, E. (2018). Üniversite öğrencilerinin sosyal medya kullanım düzeyleri ile sosyal görünüş kaygısı arasındaki ilişkinin farklı değişkenler açısından değerlendirilmesi [Evaluation of the relationship between levels of social media usage and social appearance anxiety in term of different variables in university students]. (Master’s thesis, Beykent University, İstanbul, Turkiye). Retrieved From https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp
- Dindar, M., & Akbulut, Y. (2015). Role of self-efficacy and social appearance anxiety on gaming motivations of MMOFPS players. Computers and Education, 81, 26-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.09.007
- Doğan, T. (2010). Sosyal Görünüş Kaygısı Ölçeği’nin (SGKÖ) Türkçe uyarlaması: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması [Adaptation of the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) to Turkish: A validity and reliability study]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 39(39), 151-159. https://izlik.org/JA55ZE77TD
- Ekşi, H., Arıcan, T. & Yaman, G. (2016). Meslek lisesi öğrencilerinin riskli davranışlarının yordayıcısı olarak sosyal görünüş kaygısı ve mükemmeliyetçilik [The perfectionizm and social appearance anxiety as being the prediction of risky behavior on vocational high school students]. Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Kırşehir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 17(2), 527-545. https://izlik.org/JA69JT66AB
- Gürbüz, S. (2019). Mediating, moderating and situational impact analyses in social sciences (1st Edition). Ankara, Türkiye: Seçkin Publishing.
- Gürbüz, S. & Şahin, F. (2015). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntemleri. (2.Baskı). Ankara, Türkiye: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
- Hart, T. A., Flora, D. B., Palyo, S. A., Fresco, D. M., Holle, C., & Heimberg, R. G. (2008). Development and examination of the social appearance anxiety scale. Assessment, 15(1), 48-59. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191107306673
- Işık, M. (2019). Erişkinlerin sosyal medya kullanım özelliklerinin sosyal görünüş kaygısı ve yeme tutumlarına etkisi [The effects of social media usage traits on social appearance anxiety and eating attitudes among adults]. (Master’s thesis, Üsküdar University, İstanbul, Turkiye). Retrieved From https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp
- Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (2010). Benlik, aile ve insan gelişimi: Kültürel psikoloji. İstanbul, Türkiye: Koç Üniversitesi Yayınları.
- Karagöz, Y. (2019). SPSS 23 ve AMOS 23 uygulamalı istatistiksel analizler (2. Baskı). Ankara, Türkiye: Nobel Yayıncılık.
- Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th Edition). New York, NY: Guilford publications.
- Kutlu, M., Savcı, M., Demir, Y. & Aysan, F. (2016). Young İnternet Bağımlılığı Testi Kısa Formunun Türkçe uyarlaması: Üniversite öğrencileri ve ergenlerde geçerlilik ve güvenilirlik çalışması [Turkish adaptation of Young’s Internet Addiction Test-Short Form: A reliability and validity study on university students and adolescents]. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 17(1), 69-76. https://doi.org/10.5455/apd.190501
- Levinson, C. A., Rodebaugh, T. L., White, E. K., Menatti, A. R., Weeks, J. W., Iacovino, J. M. & Warren, C. S. (2013). Social appearance anxiety, perfectionism, and fear of negative evaluation. Distinct or shared risk factors for social anxiety and eating disorders?. Appetite, 67, 125-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2013.04.002
- Li, S., Zhao, F., & Yu, G. (2021). Social exclusion and depression among college students: A moderated mediation model of psychological capital and implicit theories. Current Psychology, 40(3), 1144-1151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-0036-z
- Lim, M. (2019). Social exclusion, surveillance use, and Facebook addiction: The moderating role of narcissistic grandiosity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(20), 3813. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203813
- Moscovitch, D. A. (2009). What is the core fear in social phobia? A new model to facilitate individualized case conceptualization and treatment. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 16(2), 123-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2008.04.002
- Özer, P., & Güzel, Ş. (2023). Sosyal görünüş kaygısı ve sosyal medya bağımlılığının estetik işlem yaptırma algısı ile ilişkisi [The relationship of social appearance anxiety and social media addiction and the perception of aesthetic procedure]. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Vizyoner Dergisi, 14(40), 1412-1432. https://doi.org/10.21076/vizyoner.1258228
- Öztosun, A. (2018). Ergenlerde algılanan sosyal destek ve sosyal dışlanma deneyimlerinin internet bağımlılığını yordayıcılığı [Perceived social support and social exclusion experiences are predictive of internet addiction in adolescents] (Master’s thesis, Sabahattin Zaim University, İstanbul, Turkiye). Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12436/568
- Park, L. E. (2007). Appearance-based rejection sensitivity: Implications for mental and physical health, affect, and motivation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33(4), 490–504. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167206296301
- Poon, K. T. (2018). Unpacking the mechanisms underlying the relation between ostracism and Internet addiction. Psychiatry Research, 270, 724–730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.056
- Riva, P., Montali, L., Wirth, J. H., Curioni, S., & Williams, K. D. (2017). Chronic social exclusion and evidence for the resignation stage: An empirical investigation. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 34(4), 541–564. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407516644348
- Sertelin-Mercan, Ç. (2016). Ergenler için Sosyal Dışlanma Ölçeği: Türkçe geçerlik ve güvenirliği [Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents: Turkish validity and reliability]. HAYEF Journal of Education, 13(2), 175-186. Retrieved from https://hayefjournal.org/index.php/pub/article/view/282
- Şengönül, M., & Aydın, B. N. (2023). Genç yetişkinlerde sosyal medya kullanımına dair özellikler ile sosyal görünüş kaygısı ve yeme tutumları ilişkisi [The relationship between social media usage characteristics, social appearance anxiety and eating attitudes in young adults]. Haliç Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 6(1), 113-134. https://doi.org/10.56206/husbd.1196068
- Tabachnick, B. G., Fidell, L. S., & Ullman, J. B. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (Vol. 6, pp. 497-516). Boston, MA: Pearson.
- Traş, Z., & Gökçen, G. (2020). Academic procrastination and social anxiety as predictive variables ınternet addiction of adolescents. International Education Studies, 13(9), 23-35. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v13n9p23
- Traş, Z., Öztemel, K., & Baltacı, U. (2019). Role of problematic Internet use, sense of belonging and socialappearance anxiety in facebook use intensity of university students. International Education Studies (IES), 12(8), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v12n8p1
- Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu. (2024). Hanehalkı Bilişim Teknolojileri Kullanım Araştırması, 2024, https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Hanehalki-Bilisim-Teknolojileri-(BT)-Kullanim-Arastirmasi-2023-49407 ET: 12.09.2024.
- Wesselmann, E. D., Michels, C., & Slaughter, A. (2019). Understanding common and diverse forms of social exclusion. In S. C. Rudert, R. Greifeneder, & K. D. Williams (Eds.), Current directions in ostracism, social exclusion, and rejection research (pp. 1–17). Routledge / Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351255912-1
- Williams, K. D., & Nida, S. A. (2011). Ostracism: Consequences and coping. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20, 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411402480
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Psychological Counseling and Guidance (Other) |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Submission Date | August 12, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | October 21, 2025 |
| Publication Date | March 23, 2026 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.54535/rep.1762634 |
| IZ | https://izlik.org/JA99HY68RS |
| Published in Issue | Year 2026 Volume: 10 |
Aim & Scope
The aim of REP is to be a focal point for international and interdisciplinary original scientific studies in the fields of education, and psychology and to produce qualified discussions. Therefore, it is expected that the studies to be held in the journal have both statistical significance and original discussions which illuminate topics of education sciences. Studies in the REP should fill a gap in the literature of education and psychology and provide a basis for new research.
REP publishes research that employs quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods and has a strong theoretical framework, and has the potential to impact educational practices. The process of selecting articles for publication prioritizes essential factors such as originality in terms of topic and methodology, educational relevance of the content, and clarity of presenting the information. The journal provides valuable information to a wide range of professionals in the field of education, including school counselors, psychologists, teachers, educational policymakers, administrators, and scholars.
The scope of REP includes the following main topics:
• Educational Psychology
• Educational Management
• Early Childhood Education
• Special Education
• Foreign Language Education
• Social Sciences Education
• Medical & Health Education
• Science Education
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Assessment and Evaluation in Education
• Psychological Counseling and Guidance
• Mathematics Education
• Fine Arts Education
• Sport and Education
• Education and Training in Higher Education
• Emerging and Best Practices
• Design and Technologies
• Education History
• Sociology Education
• Systems and Technologies in Education
• Philosophies of Education and Educational Approaches
• Portals and Virtual Learning Practices and Cases in Education
• Psychology Education
• E-learning Technologies
• Developmental Psychology
Author Guidelines
Formatting and Content Requirements for Manuscripts
Basic Citation Formats Reference Examples
It is obligatory for the publication association that the articles (Article Template) to be sent to Research on Education and Psychology (REP) have the following format characteristics.
Ethical Principles and Publication Policy
EDITORIAL POLICIES
The publication process at REP is the basis of the improvement and dissemination of information objectively and respectfully. Therefore, the procedures in this process improves the quality of the studies. Peer-reviewed studies are the ones that support and materialize the scientific method. At this point, it is of utmost importance that all parties included in the publication process (authors, readers and researchers, publisher, reviewers and editors) comply with the standards of ethical considerations. There is no submission fee for publishing in REP. Currently, there are no Author Processing Charges (APCs) required.
Peer Review Policy
REP operates a strictly blind peer review process in which the reviewer’s name is withheld from the author and, the author’s name from the reviewer. The reviewer may at their own discretion opt to reveal their name to the author in their review but our standard policy practice is for both identities to remain concealed. Should an article/manuscript be considered suitable for review, it is reviewed by two reviewers.
Editorial Procedure
All articles are initially reviewed by the Editor. Secondly, the statistical and technical quality of the articles is checked by experts. Only those articles that meet the standards of the journal, and fit within its aims and scope, will be sent to reviewers. Authors of articles can expect a decision normally within three working days as to whether or not their article will be sent to the reviewers or instead be rejected at this stage. Should the decision be to ‘desk reject’ it at this stage, authors can be assured of a supportive response that offers feedback that is constructive and helpful in nature. REP recognizes that authors are keen to get a decision as soon as possible, and reviewers are asked to return their decisions to the Editor within four weeks so that the decision can be sent to authors within that timeframe. At that stage, authors get one of the four standard decisions, that is, ‘accept, as is’, ‘conditional accept, but minor changes are required’, ‘conditional accept, but major changes are required’, or ‘reject’. Finally, the language of accepted articles is checked.
Authorship
All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the article should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis.
Acknowledgements
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.
Funding
REP requires all authors to acknowledge their funding in a consistent fashion under a separate heading.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
Editors, acknowledging that there may be conflicting interests between reviewers and other editors, guarantee that the publication process of the manuscripts will be completed in an independent and unbiased manner
Protection of Research Participants
All investigators should ensure that the planning conductand reporting of human research are in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration as revised in 2013 (www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinkiethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-humansubjects/). All authors should seek approval to conduct research from an independent local, regional, or national review body (e.g., ethics committee, institutional review board). If doubt exists whether the research was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration, the authors must explain the rationale for their approach and demonstrate that the local, regional, or national review body explicitly approved the doubtful aspects of the study. Approval by a responsible review body does not preclude editors from forming their own judgment whether the conduct of the research was appropriate. Informed consent should be obtained if there is any doubt that anonymity can be maintained. For example, masking the eye region in photographs of patients is inadequate protection of anonymity. If identifying characteristics are de-identified, authors should provide assurance, and editors should so note, that such changes do not distort scientific meaning. The requirement for informed consent should be included in the journal’s instructions for authors. When informed consent has been obtained, it should be indicated in the published article.
Plagiarism
REP take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice.
PUBLISHING POLICIES
In the scope of REP publishing ethics, all stakeholders are expected to carry out the following ethical responsibilities. The following ethical duties and responsibilities have been set up as open access, taking into account guidelines and policies published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). REP is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standardsfor Authors..
Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
* Authors should present their results honestly and without fabrication, falsification or inappropriate data manipulation.
* Authors should adhere to publication requirements that submitted work is original, is not plagiarised, and has not been published elsewhere.
* Authors should strive to describe their methods clearly and unambiguously so that their findings can be confirmed by others.
* Authors should take collective responsibility for submitted and published work.
* The authorship of research publications should accurately reflect individuals’ contributions to the work and its reporting.
* Authors bear the responsibility to inform the editor of the journal or publisher if they happen to notice a mistake in their study which is in early release or publication process and to cooperate with the editors during the correction or withdrawal process.
* During the review process of their manuscripts, author(s) may be asked to supply raw data. In such a case, author(s) should be ready to submit such data and information to the editorial and scientific boards.
* Author responsibilities given in a study (e.g.: adding an author, reordering of author names) whose review process has begun cannot be changed.
* Funding sources and relevant conflicts of interest should be disclosed.
* Appropriate approval, licensing or registration should be obtained before the research begins and details should be provided in the report (e.g. Institutional Review Board, Research Ethics Committee approval, national licensing authorities for the use of animals).
Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
* Reviewers should be objective and conduct the reviews with privacy.
* Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based only on scientific content, without regard to ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, religious belief, or political philosophy of the authors.
* Reviewers should only accept the studies related to their field.
* Reviewers dispose the manuscripts they have reviewed in accordance with the principle of confidentiality after the review process. Reviewers can use the final versions of the manuscripts they have reviewed only after publication.
* The review should aim to be constructive and polite and should not include offensive language.
* The submissions accepted for review should be processed within the specified timing and in compliance with the ethical principles.
* In the case of conflict of interests, the submission should be rejected and the editor-in-chief should be notified.
* The identity of the authors should be reached and the submissions of the authors whose identities are revealed should be rejected.
* No information related to the rejected submissions should be shared or made public.
Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
* All editors ensure the editorial independence. They should only evaluate manuscripts for their scientific content without regard to ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, religious belief, political philosophy of the authors, or personal influences from association staff or volunteer leaders.
* Editors must provide a fair double-blind peer review of the submitted articles for publication. They should ensure that all the information related to submitted manuscripts is kept confidential before publishing.
* Editors are responsible for the contents and overall quality of the publication. They should publish errata pages or make corrections when needed.
* The editors should ensure the progress within the specified timing of the process.
* The editors should ensure that the processes are realized within the ethical principles.
Unethical Behaviour
Should you encounter any unethical act or content in REP apart from the ethical responsibilities listed above, please notify the journal by e-mail at editor.journalrep@gmail.com
ETHICS COMMITTEE APPROVAL
"Ethical committee approval document" is requested for the articles uploaded in February 2020. The following sample statement should be added to the end of the article (chapter before the references) to be uploaded to the journal:
"I declare that the research was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. There is no conflict of interest in the research. The study approved by Social and Humanities Research and Publication Ethics Committee of Necmettin Erbakan University. The authors received no financial support for the authorship, research, and/or publication of this article."
Plagiarism Policy
In accordance with its publishing policies, REP oblige each study that has undergone the "Blind Review Process" to be detected for plagiarism to protect the integrity of the study. Therefore, all manusicripts are detected for plagiarism.
The plagiarism detection is done by iThenticate software. Plagiarism ratio (excluding references) is at most 10%. Studies exceeding this ratio is rejected by the editors.
Copyright Policy
The manuscripts submitted to REP for publication should be original studies that were not published before or not submitted to anywhere else for publication.
Authors who submit their studies to REP should acknowledge that they have to transfer the copyright of their studies to journal REP. The editorial board of the journal is authorized to publish the study.
Those authors who will submit their studies to REP have to fill in the "Copyright Agreement Form". Wet signature is required. The signed form should be scanned and uploaded to the system via file upload option.
Price Policy
There is no submission fee for publishing in REP. Currently, there are no Author Processing Charges (APCs) required.
Indexes
Citation Indexes
Other Indexes
Journal Boards
Editor-in-Chief
Editor
Editorial Board
Layout Editor
All the articles published in REP are licensed with "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License"