From Alexithymia To Internet Addiction: Uncovering Emotional and Developmental Mechanisms

Abstract

This study examined the mechanisms linking alexithymia to internet addiction, focusing on the mediating role of sense of coherence and the moderating role of positive childhood experiences (PCEs). A total of 706 adults (56.5% female; ages 18–65) participated in the study. Participants completed self-report measures assessing alexithymia, internet addic-tion, sense of coherence, and PCEs. Mediation, moderation, and conditional process analy-ses were conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Models 4, 1, and 14). Alexithymia positively predicted internet addiction and negatively predicted sense of coherence. Sense of coherence accounted for a significant portion of the association between alexithymia and internet addiction. Positive childhood experiences moderated the association between sense of coherence and internet addiction; individuals with higher levels of PCEs reported lower internet addiction, even when coherence was low. Furthermore, PCEs moderated the indirect association between alexithymia and internet addiction through sense of co-herence. The moderated mediation effect was significant at moderate and high levels of PCEs but not at low levels. The findings indicated that higher levels of alexithymia were associated with higher levels of internet addiction, particularly among individuals report-ing lower sense of coherence. However, positive early-life experiences were associated with lower levels of internet addiction, suggesting a contextual protective pattern. These results emphasized the importance of enhancing emotional awareness, self-concept coher-ence, and early relational support in prevention and intervention efforts targeting internet addiction.