Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2021, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4): 829-835.

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The Impact of Adolescent’s Internet Fiction Reading on Self-Concept Clarity: The Role of Character Identity and Flow Experience

1,2,Yang WU3,Zong-Kui ZHOU min cao5   

  • Received:2019-05-05 Revised:2020-05-07 Online:2021-07-20 Published:2021-07-20
  • Contact: Zong-Kui ZHOU

青少年网络小说阅读对自我概念清晰性的影响:角色认同和沉浸感的中介作用

张冬静1,2,吴漾3,周宗奎4,谭亚莉3,曹敏5   

  1. 1. 华中科技大学马克思主义学院
    2. 青少年网络心理与行为教育部重点实验室
    3. 华中科技大学
    4. 武汉市武昌珞喻路152号,华中师范大学心理学院
    5. 华中师范大学心理学院
  • 通讯作者: 周宗奎

Abstract: With the development of Internet technology, Internet has been widely and frequently used in people’s daily life. The rich, interactive and entertained Internet information, in particular, expose individuals to an atmosphere of online pan-entertainment. Internet fiction is the typical example of the pan-entertainment industry. It creates information and stories for the pan-entertainment industry with its rich resources all the time, and links films, televisions, games, cartoons etc., to each other through IPs. With its multiple manifestations, Internet fiction can meet different needs that different users have, and promote the development of Internet literature in adolescents. As an important part of the Internet popular culture and a phenomenal cultural industry, the impact that the fast development of Internet fiction may exert on the self-development of adolescents has been a focus of our country, society, and families. The concern whether adolescents are lost in Internet literature (i.e., whether the Internet fiction reading influences adolescents’ self-concept clarity) is the primary question to be addressed in the present study. Under the theoretical framework of Internet self-concept fragmentation hypothesis, examined the impact of Internet fiction reading behaviors on self-concept clarity and its underlying mechanism. This study tested whether Internet fiction reading behavior would exert an effect on adolescent self-concept clarity, and whether this effect would be consistent with the self-concept fragmentation hypothesis. If there would be a link between Internet fiction reading and self-concept clarity, this study would further explore how Internet fiction reading influences self-concept clarity, as tested the potential mediating roles of character identity and flow experience. To investigate the relationship between the Internet fiction reading, character identity, flow experience and self-concept clarity, a survey research method was used in the form of the scales for the Internet literature reading, character identity, flow experience and self-concept clarity which were administered to 480 adolescents. Data were collected and analyzed with SPSS 23.0. The results were as followings: (1) The association between Internet fiction reading behavior and adolescent self-concept clarity coincided with the self-concept fragmentation hypothesis. That was to say, reading Internet fiction would lead to low levels of self-concept clarity in adolescents. (2) The analyses of the underlying mechanisms showed that character identity and flow experience played multiple mediating roles in the association between Internet fiction reading behavior and adolescent self-concept clarity. Specifically, Internet fiction reading behavior can influence self-concept clarity through the simple mediating effects of character identity, flow experience, and through the chain-mediating role of character identity and flow experience. In conclusion, the present study theoretically provides a new perspective for studying the association between Internet fiction reading and adolescent self-concept clarity based on self-concept fragmentation hypothesis, identity theory and flow theory. It deepens previous studies on the impacts of Internet on individual self-concept. In addition, the present study practically clarifies the psychological features of adolescents’ Internet fiction reading, and the questions such as how Internet fiction reading influences adolescent self-concept clarity. These findings help provide society, families and school a better understanding of Internet fiction reading among adolescents, and guide adolescents properly read Internet literature.

Key words: Internet fiction reading, self-concept clarity, character identity, flow experience

摘要: 为探讨网络小说阅读与青少年自我概念清晰性的关系以及角色认同和沉浸感在其中的中介作用,本研究对有网络小说阅读经验的480名中学生进行问卷调查。结果发现:(1)网络小说阅读、角色认同、沉浸感两两之间显著正相关,且均与自我概念清晰性呈显著负相关;(2)网络小说阅读通过角色认同和沉浸感的中介作用对青少年自我概念清晰性产生负面影响,且该中介作用包含了三条路径——角色认同、沉浸感的简单中介作用以及角色认同—沉浸感的序列中介作用。这一结论有助于引导青少年健康阅读网络文学,并促进其自我概念发展。

关键词: 网络小说阅读, 自我概念清晰性, 角色认同, 沉浸感