This study examined whether the relationship between impulsivity and Internet addiction (IA) levels among university students varies depending on the indirect pathway mediated by the meaning-seeking in life and whether this indirect pathway is dependent on self-esteem levels. The study was conducted using data collected from 500 university students in Türkiye via valid self-report measures, employing a cross-sectional, correlational design. Controlling for daily internet usage time, the assumed direct, indirect, and conditional associations were tested using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 14). Correlation analyses found that impulsivity was negatively related to meaning-seeking in life (r = −.120, p < .01) and positively related to IA (r = .261, p < .001). In the conditional process analysis, impulsivity was negatively associated with meaning-seeking in life (B = −0.180, p = .003) and positively associated with IA (B = 0.592, p < .001). The interaction between meaning-seeking in life and self-esteem was significantly associated IA (B = 0.180, p = .009) and contributed additional explanatory power to the model (ΔR 2 = 0.0125, p < .01; total R 2 = .117). The direct association between meaning-seeking in life and IA in the regression model was statistically significant (B = 0.214, p = .004); however, the indirect pathway through meaning-seeking in life was moderated by self-esteem. The moderated mediation index was significant (Index = −0.032, 95% CI −0.076, −0.007), and the findings indicate that the indirect component of the relationship between impulsivity and IA level, mediated by meaning-seeking in life, varies according to self-esteem level; the indirect association is more pronounced at lower self-esteem scores. These findings were interpreted within a cross-sectional design framework and suggest that impulsivity is related to IA levels and that the conditional indirect mechanism is present, although its magnitude appears modest.
Arzu Bulut (2026) studied this question.