Structural Equation Model of Smartphone Addiction Based on Adult Attachment Theory: Mediating Effects of Loneliness and Depression
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PURPOSE: This study investigated the mediating effects of loneliness and depression on the relationship between adult attachment and smartphone addiction in university students. METHODS: A total of 200 university students participated in this study. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling. RESULTS: There were significant positive relationships between attachment anxiety, loneliness, depression, and smartphone addiction. However, attachment anxiety was not significantly correlated with smartphone addiction. The results also showed that loneliness did not directly mediate between attachment anxiety and smartphone addiction. In addition, loneliness and depression serially mediated between attachment anxiety and smartphone addiction. CONCLUSION: The results suggest there are mediating effects of loneliness and depression in the relationship between attachment anxiety and smartphone addiction. The hypothesized model was found to be a suitable model for predicting smartphone addiction among university students. Future study is required to find a causal path to prevent smartphone addiction among university students.
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Taken together, self-esteem, shyness, and social anxiety may be confounding antecedents of PSU.
“Taken together, this suggests that self-esteem, shyness, and social anxiety may be confounding antecedents of PSU (Kim, Cho, et al., 2017).”
From Antecedents and consequences of problematic smartphone use: A systematic literature review of an emerging research area (2021) · cites this paper as Kim, Cho, et al., 2017
The Discussion identifies shyness and self-esteem as possible confounding factors affecting smartphone addiction, but it does not identify social anxiety as one. The paper presents these factors as possibilities requiring further research, consistent with the claim’s hedge. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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The effect of loneliness on depression: A meta-analysis
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Busch, P. A., & McCarthy, S. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106414 · Cited by 657 · see citing works
The effects of mobile phone use on academic performance: A meta-analysis
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A scoping review of the association between smartphone use and mental health among college students
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- Authors
- Kim, E., Cho, I., & Kim, E. J.
- Affiliations
- Daejeon University (KR)
- Torch Trinity Graduate University (KR)
- Corresponding author
- Kim, Eun Joo
- Venue
- Asian Nursing Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-06
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 92-97
- ISSN
- 1976-1317 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2615746137
- Cited by
- 147
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 26.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Asian Nursing Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Keywords
- smartphone addiction, adult attachment theory, attachment anxiety, loneliness, depression, university students, mediating effect, serial mediation
- MeSH terms
- Smartphone, Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Loneliness, Male, Models, Psychological, Object Attachment, Students, Models, Statistical, Behavior, Addictive, Young Adult
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