Affective and Cognitive Factors of Internet User Behaviour

The article examines the specifics of digital network user behaviour in the context of personality theory and psychological theory of social attitude. The authors highlight the emotional perception of cyber reality and the experience of the value of interactions in the network as a subconscious tendency to choose a particular strategy of behaviour, in assessing information and resolving a problem situation associated with internal tension or conflict. The goal is to investigate the emotional state of a digital network user, to correlate the indicators of the user’s subconscious inclination to a specific mechanism of psychological protection in a difficult life situation and the choice of behaviour strategy in network interaction. Research methods involve a survey of student groups, focused on identifying the specifics of their perception of Internet interactions, creating a generalized socio-psychological portrait of the user through the prism of subconscious attitudes, in particular, to comfort, depression, self-control, distraction. A survey of students was carried out using a psycho-diagnostic methodology focused on identifying the specifics of the psychological defence of a person in the information field of the network and in overcoming stressful situations associated with internal conflict. The research was carried out among the students and post-graduate students of St. Petersburg universities of different directions and levels of training. The results of an empirical study of the young people’s attitudes towards using the Internet show statistically significant differences in the attitudes of young people in the emotional assessment of interactions in the digital network. The relationship between the cognitive orientations of the individual and behavioural strategies in overcoming problematic life situations has also been established.