An investigation of married individuals' problematic internet use, marital adjustment, couple burnout and satisfaction level of psychological needs

In this study which was investigated relationship between married individuals' problematic internet usage, marital adjustment, couple burnout and satisfaction level of basic psychological needs and these variables was analyzed in terms of some variables. In addition, the mediator role of marital adjustment on the relationship between married individuals' satisfaction level of basic psychological needs and couple burnout was investigated, too. The group of the study that designed according to relational screening model as a descriptive study is composed of 348 married individuals residing in Osmaniye. In the study; Problematic Internet Use Scale (Ceyhan, Ceyhan and Gürcan, 2007), Marital Adjustment Test (Locke and Wallace, 1959; Tutarel-Kışlak, 1999), Couple Burnout Scale (Pines, 1996; Çapri, 2008) and Basic Psychological Needs Scale (Deci and Ryan, 2000; Kesici et al., 2003) was used as data collection tools. And also, the data about some socio-demographic variables of married individuals has been obtained by using "Personal Information Form" which has been designed by the researcher. As a result of the research; there is a significant difference between the results obtained from Problematic Internet Use Scale in terms of gender, amount of daily internet usage; social comfort/social benefit dimension scores in terms of spouses' educational status and perceived social economic level; excessive usage dimension scores in terms of spouses' amount of daily internet usage. There is a significant difference between the results obtained from Marital Adjustment Test's style dimension scores in terms of amount of daily internet usage. There is a significant difference between couple burnout scores in terms of gender, perceived social economic level, amount of daily internet usage and spouses' amount of daily internet usage. There is a significant difference between the results obtained from Basic Psychological Needs Scale's relationship need dimension scores in terms of educational status; competence need dimension scores in terms of perceived social economic level. However there is no significant differentiation between scores of scales that was used in the research and these scales' dimensions in terms of age, length of marriage, number of children, length of internet usage and daily internet usage hours. And also; problematic internet usage is positively associated with couple burnout; marital adjustment is positively associated with satisfaction level of basic psychological needs. Marital adjustment is negatively associated with couple burnout; couple burnout is negatively associated with satisfaction level of basic psychological needs. Marital adjustment, satisfaction level of basic psychological needs and problematic internet use explained %42,8 of total of variance of couple burnout. Moreover, marital adjustment has partial mediating role in the relationship between satisfaction level of basic psychological needs and couple burnout. The findings of the research were discussed and interpreted in the light of the related literature. In addition, some suggestions have been put forward based on the results for further studies.