Internet using characteristics and perfectionism as predictors for cyberchondria

Slavčić, Lea. (2018). Internet using characteristics and perfectionism as predictors for cyberchondria. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Lauri Korajlija, Anita].

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Abstract

Internet has become one of the major sources of health information (Flaherty, 2016). The recurrent and extreme search for health information on the internet, triggered by worry and anxiety, leads to even greater concern and anxiety called cyberchondria(Starcevic and Berle, 2013). The aim of this study was to check the possibility of predicting the symptoms of cyberchondria on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics, internet using characteristics and dimensions of perfectionism. The survey was conducted through an online survey, with 382 participants aged between 15 and 73 years old. The results show that more prominent cyberchondria is within younger, lower educated, those who spend more time on the internet and have lower levels of eHealth literacy and higher levels of negative perfectionism. Regarding the dimension of cyberchondria, the best predictors were gender, eHealth literacy and positive and negative perfectionism. Women show greater excessiveness, distress and need for reassurance by medical professionals during online health information seeking, and men show a greater degree of mistrust towards medical professionals. The high levels of eHealth literacy is associated with a greater excessiveness and the need for reassurance when searching online for symptoms. Positive perfectionism proved to be a protective factor in the development of cyberchondria. Those with more higher levels of positive perfectionism had lower results on the dimensions of cyberchondria, while higher results on cyberchondria dimensions showed those with higher levels of negative perfectionism.

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