Mobile phone addiction as a mediator in the association between alexithymia and self-directed learning among Chinese...

Self-directed learning ability is an essential competency for nursing undergraduates to develop professional skills and adapt to evolving healthcare needs. However, the psychological and behavioral factors affecting self-directed learning remain understudied.

The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between alexithymia, mobile phone addiction, and self-directed learning among nursing undergraduates.

This study involved 234 nursing undergraduates enrolled at a medical college located in southern China. The Scale of Competencies of Autonomous Learning of Nursing Undergraduates (SCALNU), the Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale (MPAI) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were employed to assess self-directed learning ability, alexithymia, and mobile phone addiction respectively. Correlation analyses were employed to examine pairwise relationships among the three variables. Subsequently, multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify significant influence factors of self-directed learning. Then a structural equation modeling approach was utilized to examine the mediating effect of mobile phone addiction in the relationship between alexithymia and self-directed learning.

The mean scores for the SCALNU were 90.19 ± 10.10. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between higher SCALNU scores and lower scores on the MPAI (r=-0.294, p < 0.01) and the TAS-20 (r=-0.383, p < 0.01). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that grade, only-child status, experience as class officials in high school, alexithymia, and mobile phone addiction were associated with SDL (all p < 0.01). The structural equation model analysis with a relatively good fit (χ²/df = 2.228, RMSEA = 0.073, CFI = 0.905, GFI = 0.917, and SRMR = 0.066) indicated that alexithymia has both a direct effect on SDL (β=-0.305, p = 0.014) and an indirect effect through mobile phone addiction on SDL (β=-0.120, p = 0.007), with a mediation effect accounting for 28.2% of the total effect.

Mobile phone addiction significantly mediates the relationship between alexithymia and self-directed learning ability among nursing undergraduates, highlighting its potential as a modifiable target for interventions to enhance self-directed learning.