Gender analysis on the relationship between perceived economic wellbeing of the family and cyber love addiction in one public Malaysian university

The paper aims to measure the relationship between perceived economic wellbeing (PEW) of the family and cyber love addiction (CLA) among male and female respondents in one public university in Malaysia. The population of this paper was 30,000 university respondents and 370 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling because of unequal proportion between male and female respondents. The general findings show significant (p≤0.001) and negative relationship (r=-0.469) between PEW and CLA. The results of statistical analysis indicated the level of CLA and its components among males where higher than females (r male =-0.560; r female =-0.363). Result of correlation between PEW and CLA components by gender showed, highest correlation coefficient were observed in Conflict component (r male = -0.608; r female =-0.365) and Experience component (r male =-0.510; r female =-0.308) with significant, negative and moderate relationship. For Salience component, female respondents has significant, weak and negative relationship (p≤0.005, r=-0.171) with PEW, and male (p≤0.001, r=-0.385) has low and negative relationship with PEW. In Self-Awareness component female has negative, weak and significant (p≤0.005, r=-0.174) relationship with PEW and male (p≤0.001, r=-0.386) has low and negative relationship with PEW. Another 3-component namely Tolerance, Withdrawal and Mood modification have significant, negative and low relationship with PEW. In conclusion, gender differences accepted the result of this paper unlike previous researches. Regarding literature, female perceived more stress from economic deprivation in family therefore while this paper showed male are more sensitive in economic wellbeing. The cultural effect on individual’s behavior should consider as different outcome of this paper. As a summary, based on results, low economic level in family lead young men to CLA. It must assist program by policy makers and governments for young generation to avoid cyber love with providing physical communication in real life