Cyber victimization, cognitive bias, and mental health problems in emerging adults
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Date
2024
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UMT, Lahore
Abstract
The current study aimed at knowing the relationships between cyber victimization, cognitive biases and mental health problems in emerging adults. A total of 402 college and university students voluntarily participated (men=204 and women=198) with the age range of 17-25 (M=19.2 years) through purposive sampling. The data were taken from using demographic sheet, cyber victimization scale, cognitive biases scale and depression anxiety stress (DASS-21) scale. The results showed that cyber victimization correlates with a significant positive relationship with mental health problems. Whereas, cognitive bias has a significant negative association with cyber victimization and mental health problems. Moreover, it was seen that men are more prone to cyber victimization and cognitive biases as compare to women having more mental health problems. Other than that, graduate students have more scores of cyber victimization, cognitive biases and mental health problems in contrast to intermediate students. Furthermore, late emerging adults have higher levels of cyber victimization and mental health problems whereas, middle emerging adults has greater levels of cognitive biases. The significant positive predictors of mental health problems are found to be gender, age and education levels, and cyber victimization while significant negative predictor is cognitive biases. The prominent findings can lead to more awareness sessions regarding cyber victimization, the impact of cognitive biases and mental health problems, related therapeutic interventions can be designed and given to the emerging adults. The limitations and suggestions of future researches has been highlighted in the end of the study.