The Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Emotion Regulation With Adolescent Smartphone Addiction: The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance
Keywords:
adolescents, experiential avoidance, emotion regulation, social anxiety, Smartphone addictionAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the structural relationships between social anxiety and emotion regulation with adolescent smartphone addiction, emphasizing the mediating role of experiential avoidance.
Methods and Materials: This fundamental study employed a descriptive–correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of male and female adolescents aged 12–18 years in Tehran, from whom 247 participants were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires measuring smartphone addiction, cognitive emotion regulation, social anxiety, and experiential avoidance. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS-26 and LISREL-8, and model assumptions and goodness-of-fit indices were carefully evaluated.
Findings: Structural equation modeling revealed that social anxiety and experiential avoidance had significant positive direct effects on smartphone addiction, whereas emotion regulation had a significant negative direct effect. Experiential avoidance also showed a significant mediating role in the relationship between social anxiety and smartphone addiction, as well as between emotion regulation and smartphone addiction. Overall model fit indices indicated an acceptable and robust fit of the proposed model.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that social anxiety and deficits in emotion regulation contribute to adolescent smartphone addiction both directly and indirectly through experiential avoidance. Targeting experiential avoidance and enhancing adaptive emotion regulation skills may therefore be essential components of preventive and therapeutic interventions for reducing smartphone addiction among adolescents.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hanieh Khodayvandi (Author); Alireza Mohammadi Aria; Fatemeh Khoeini (Author)
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