Abstract:

Modern society exists on the era of global computerization, constantly developing and improving technologies, becoming as an information society with its specific structure. The Internet, and in particular social networks, are the main sources of information that is constantly expanding own borders, actively influencing the social and personal development and psychological health of young people. In general, the field of Internet space studies, the specific of virtual communication generates many global and important problems; one of them is the issue of the impact of the Internet and social networks on the individuals and their interpersonal relationships during the education process. The main question of this study was "How estimation of different types of students' interpersonal relations in real and virtual space is connected and how such connection links to their motivation as users of the Internet". We supposed a direct relationship between students' preferences for real-world and virtual-space interpersonal relationships, when the communicative motives were dominant. We used methods of quantitative analysis (SPSS, v. 23) and qualitative analysis. The following diagnostic methods were used: Questionnaire of interpersonal relations T. Leary and its modification, the Internet motivation Questionnaire (A. Velichkovsky), several questions about the spending time on the Internet and a particular activity on the Internet space. The sample of the study included 106 students from different Universities in various areas of education; age from 18 to 24 years. The study revealed that the main motivations of the students’ activity on the Internet space were communication and collaboration. Fewer students carried out educational activities on the Internet related to the search and assimilation of the information they need, to carry out educational activities. It was found that the motivation of communicative and collaborative activities were associated with the type of relationship in reality and in the virtual world. Aggressive type of interaction in reality was positively linked with aggression on the Internet, selfish and authoritarian type of communication. Suspicion in reality was also associated with the manifestation of suspicion of virtual communication, and vice versa. Friendliness and altruistic types of students’ relationships in real and virtual communication had a positive link, but online friendliness appeared rarer than in real relationships. The practical implications: the results can be used for the purpose of the optimization use of the Internet space by students and improve their constructiveness in interactions with other people.

Keywords:

Interpersonal relations, virtual relations, motivation, Internet, university students.