The Mediating Effects of Loneliness on the Relationship between Smartphone Addiction and Dependent Personality Trait in Adults

Article information

Korean J Health Promot. 2016;16(4):260-267

Publication date (electronic) : 2016 January 20

doi : https://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2016.16.4.260

Department of Counseling Psychology, Seoul Cyber University, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding author: Jeung Ok, PhD Department of Counseling Psychology, Seoul Cyber University, 60 Solmae-ro 49-gil, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul 01133, Korea Tel: +82-2-944-5035, Fax: +82-2-982-4810 E-mail: oj256@iscu.ac.kr

Received 2016 November 01; Accepted 2016 December 19.

Abstract

Background

As the number of smartphone users is increasing, smartphone addiction is a recent concern. The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediating effect of loneliness on the relationship between smartphone addiction and dependent/ avoidant personality trait in Adults.

Methods

A total of 550 adults (male 116, female 434) were selected and rated smartphone addiction scale, dependent and avoidant personality trait scales, and loneliness scale. Pearson correlation coefficients, Structural Equation Model Analysis and Sobel test using SPSS version 21.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA) and AMOS version 21.0 (IBM, New York, NY, USA) were conducted.

Results

Dependent and avoidant personality significantly were related smartphone addiction and loneliness. Finding in structural equation modeling indicated that the loneliness partially mediated the relationship between dependent personality and smartphone addiction, but did not mediated the relationship between avoidant personality and smartphone addiction.

Conclusions

This study confirmed partial mediation effect of loneliness on the relationship between smart-phone addiction and dependent personality. This finding suggests that future intervention for smartphone addiction should focus on reducing of loneliness and proper coping with loneliness.

Keywords: Smartphone addiction; Dependent personality; Avoidant personality; Loneliness

Figure 1.

Research model.

Figure 2.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis results of measurement model in dependent personality model.

Figure 3.

Research model and standardized factor loading values. Model fit analysis by SEM; df=51, χ²=198.83, RMSEA=0.073, TLI=0.936, CFI=0.091.

Table 1.

Demographic characteristics of participants (n=550)

Table 2.

Comparison fit indices between research model and modified model in dependent personality model

Table 3.

Path coefficients of the final model in dependent personality model

Table 4.

Direct effect, indirect effect and total effect of the final model in dependent personality model

Table 5.

Mediating effects verification results of the final model in dependent personality model

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