INVESTIGATION OF IMPULSIVITY IN INTERNET ADDICT PERSONS BEFORE AND AFTER COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

Background and Aim : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy on reducing impulsivity levels of people with addiction to the Internet.Methods : This original and quasi-experimental research was conducted by a dependent single-group T-test. The target population of this study was all people with Internet addiction in Tabriz city. In a non-random sampling, 120 people between the ages of 15 and 35 years old who had the criteria for using more than 4 hours of Internet per day completed Barat s impulsivity questionnaire and then, 30 people who had the highest score among them were subjected to 12 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy.Results : The results of t-test showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy can reduce impulsivity in people with internet addiction. At the Barat Impulsivity Scale, the findings show that cognitive-behavioral therapy can significantly reduce the total impulsivity and cognitive impulsivity in Internet addicts.Conclusion : According to the findings of this study, it was determined that cognitive-behavioral therapy is an effective strategy to reduce the impulsivity of people who have Internet addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective in many areas, especially in the field of behavioral disorders and cognitive errors; therefore, cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used in cases where the reduction of the impulsive behavior of people with Internet addiction is our goal.

Keywords:

impulsivity , cognitive impulsivity , internet addiction , cognitive-behavioral therapy