Interrelations between Internet and real identity of Internet-addicted and average users

<p align="center"><strong>Abstract of Master&rsquo;s Graduation Qualifying Paper &ldquo;Interrelations between Internet and real identity of Internet-addicted and average users&rdquo;.</strong></p><p align="right"><strong>By Anastasia I. Galkina</strong></p><p align="right"><strong>Student of group 681</strong></p><p align="right"><strong>Scientific Adviser: Veniamin V. Kolpachnikov</strong></p><p align="right"><strong>Associate Professor, Cand. Sci (Psychology)</strong></p><p>In recent two decades cyber psychology, which is a developing field that encompasses all&nbsp;psychological&nbsp;phenomena that are associated with or affected by emerging&nbsp;technology and human behavior connected to it, has obtained special importance. In terms of cyber psychology the phenomena of Internet-addiction and Internet identity are among the most controversial and argued about.</p><p>Today there are several attitudes to understanding of&nbsp; Internet-addiction. Some psychologists treat this phenomenon as a typical addiction disorder, others &ndash; as an impulse control disorder; some authors disclaim its &ldquo;disorder&rdquo; status, several scientists have some non-conventional views of the issue (for example, Internet-addiction as a flow).</p><p>As for Internet Identity, its construction is closely connected to self-representation strategy of Internet users in the Net. The difference between Internet and real identity is most probably determined by a number of specific features of Internet communication, such as anonymity, physical absence of a partner, an ability to postpone a response, etc.</p><p>Despite the growing interest in the phenomena under study, there probable interrelation has remained unexplored. Both foreign and Russian psychologists have mentioned the idea of their interrelation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the question, revealing the interrelation between Internet and real identity of Internet-addicted and average users.</p><p>The sample group consists of 66 people selected for the study on the basis of their Internet-addiction test results. They were divided into two groups of 33 people: a group of Internet-addicted and a group of average users. The following techniques were used for the purposes of the study: Internet-addiction test by K. Young, &ldquo;Personality Differential&rdquo;, Interpersonal relationship test by T.Liri, &ldquo;Aspects of identity&rdquo; questionnaire by J. Cheek.</p><p>The results of the study have shown that there are less differences and more relevance between Internet and real identity of Internet-addicted users in comparison with average users. Moreover it has been found out that people in both groups are more likely to display their different traits exaggeratedly and behave in an extreme way in the Net rather in their real life.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>