The mediating role of academic engagement in the relationship between Internet addiction and psychological safety with academic buoyancy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of academic engagement in the relationship between Internet addiction and psychological safety with academic buoyancy. The research method was a correlation of the type path analysis. The population of this study included all undergraduate students of Lorestan University in the academic year 2021-2022. The statistical sample size was determined based on Klein's thumb rule equal to 240 people which was done by available sampling method and online questionnaire. The instruments used in this study were Young Internet Addiction Test (1988), Maslow Psychological Security Questionnaire (2004), Reeve and Tseng Academic Engagement Scale (2011), and Dehghanizadeh and Husseinchari Academic Buoyancy Questionnaire (2012). Data analysis was performed using the path analysis statistical method and bootstrapping method was used to examine the mediating role of the variables. The results showed that psychological security has a direct effect on academic buoyancy (p<0/01) and an indirect effect through academic engagement (p<0/01); But Internet addiction had no direct effect on academic buoyancy (p>0/05); rather, it had an indirect effect on academic buoyancy through academic engagement (p<0/05). The results showed that the research model provided the optimal fit to the data. By strengthening students' psychological security and reducing their dependence on cyberspace, students can be helped to participate constructively in educational affairs, which can result in overcoming academic problems and increasing academic buoyancy.