Abstract: The purpose of the current study was to investigate: 1) the relationship between maternal psychological control and adolescents’ problematic Internet use (PIU); 2) whether this relationship was mediated by maladaptive cognition about Internet use; 3) whether there is gender difference on the direct and indirect relationships between maternal psychological control and PIU. Participants were 660 middle school students (mean age = 14.14 years, 364 females) recruited from a southern province in mainland China. During a school-based assessment, participants completed Maternal Psychological Control Questionnaire, Maladaptive Cognition about Internet Use Questionnaire, and Problematic Internet Use Scale. Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that: (1) after controlling for gender, age, and family economic conditions, psychological control was positively associated with PIU (β = 0.22, p < 0.001). (2) Maladaptive cognition partially mediated the relationship between psychological control and PIU (the mediated effect accounted for 71.2% of the total effect). (3) Males had higher levels of PIU than females. However, no significant moderating effects of gender was found on the direct (including both overall and residual effects) or indirect (including the relationship between maternal psychological control and maladaptive cognition as well as the relationship between maladaptive cognition and PIU) relationships between maternal psychological control and PIU. In conclusion, we build on and contribute to existing literature in several important ways. First, maternal psychological control is positively related to adolescents’ PIU, which is different from behavioral control. Even though psychological control is more popular among Chinese parents than those of western countries, it is indeed a risk factor for adolescents’ development. Second, maladaptive cognition partially mediates the relationship between maternal psychological control and PIU, which indicates that the underlying mechanism of maternal psychological control impacting on adolescents’ PIU consists of both direct and indirect paths. Finally, even though significant gender difference is found on PIU, gender difference is found neither on the direct nor indirect relationship between maternal psychological control and PIU.

Key words: adolescents, maternal psychological control, maladaptive cognition, problematic Internet use

摘要： 本研究旨在考察母亲心理控制对青少年问题性网络使用（PIU）的直接和间接作用路径，以及这些路径是否受到性别的调节。以四所初级中学660名青少年为被试，要求其报告母亲的心理控制、非适应性网络认知以及问题性网络使用的情况。结果表明：（1）在控制了性别、年龄、家庭经济状况后，母亲心理控制对青少年PIU具有显著的正向预测作用；（2）非适应性认知在母亲心理控制与PIU之间具有部分中介作用；（3）母亲心理控制与PIU的直接关系（包括总效应和残余效应）以及间接关系（包括心理控制与非适应性认知的关系和非适应性认知与PIU的关系）均未受到性别的调节。研究结果说明母亲心理控制既直接影响青少年PIU，同时也通过非适应性认知产生间接影响，这些直接和间接路径在本研究中未表现出性别差异。

关键词: 青少年, 母亲心理控制, 非适应性认知, 问题性网络使用