Behavioral Functions Associated with Wanting to Reduce Internet Use

A person might want to spend less time on an activity because there are other things they would rather be doing, but the activity fulfils some necessary function (e.g., work or school). Alternatively, someone might want to reduce time spent on a highly preferred or habitual activity because they find themselves unable to manage their behavior, as in overeating or chronic procrastination. In this registered report, we propose to compare self-reported internet dependence and behavioral factors that motivate respondents’ internet use. We will compare responses from respondents who report that they want to spend less time using the internet with those who report that they do not. Respondents will complete a self-report measure of internet dependence and the preliminary Internet Consequences Questionnaire (ICQ-P). The ICQ-P is a self-report functional behavioral assessment that quantifies the degree to which different behavioral functions motivate the person’s internet use. We hypothesize that wanting to reduce internet use is associated with internet dependence, that total ICQ-P scores will differ for the two groups, and that ICQ-P response patterns will indicate group differences in motivating factors. Obtained group differences (or the lack thereof) can be expected to provide information about targets for behavioral therapies relating to internet use.