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Why Cannot I Stop Phubbing? Boredom Proneness and Phubbing: A Multiple Mediation Model
Bin Gao1,2, Yuanyuan Liu3, Quanwei Shen4
1Research Institute for International and Comparative Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, People's Republic of China.
Boredom proneness increases problematic smartphone use (phubbing) in college students. Loneliness and fear of missing out (FoMO) act as psychological mediators, highlighting intervention targets.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Smartphone use is increasing, leading to problematic behaviors like phubbing.
- Boredom proneness is a known trigger for phubbing, but psychological mechanisms require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the psychological mechanisms linking boredom proneness and phubbing.
- To examine the mediating roles of loneliness and fear of missing out (FoMO) in this relationship.
- To test a multiple mediation model based on the I-PACE framework.
Main Methods:
- A survey of 556 Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Utilized self-report questionnaires to collect data.
- Employed a multiple mediation model to analyze the relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- Boredom proneness was a significant positive predictor of phubbing.
- Loneliness and FoMO individually mediated the link between boredom proneness and phubbing.
- Loneliness and FoMO sequentially mediated the relationship between boredom proneness and phubbing.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the psychological pathways from boredom to phubbing is crucial.
- Interventions targeting boredom proneness, loneliness, and FoMO can mitigate phubbing risk.
- Findings offer insights for developing effective strategies to reduce problematic smartphone use.
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