Mediating Factors of the Association Between Shyness and Generalized Pathological Internet Use in Chinese University Students

Similarities and differences in the psychological factors associated with generalised problematic internet use, problematic social media use, and problematic online gaming

Problematic online behaviours are a concern among university students. Although previous research has identified that psychological distress, cognitive distortions, conscientiousness and neuroticism traits, motor impulsivity, and emotion regulation strategies have a significant direct effect on generalised problematic Internet use (GPIU), problematic social media use (PSMU), and problematic online gaming (POG), it is still necessary to determine the extent to which these psychological factors, taken together, are associated with each of the problematic online behaviours. In a sample of 690 Spanish university students, the present study examined the relationship of these psychological factors with GPIU, PSMU, and POG. Correlation and regression analyses were performed. Results reported that (1) high psychological distress, low conscientiousness trait and high motor impulsivity were common associated factors of GPIU and PSMU, but not of POG; (2) high levels of cognitive distortions and cognitive reappraisal were common associated factors of GPIU, PSMU and POG; and (3) expressive suppression and neuroticism trait had no effect on any of the three problematic online behaviours. The findings will help to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies for each problematic online behaviour in the university context.

How Does Shyness Affect Chinese College Students' Tendency to Mobile Phone Addiction? Testing the Mediating Roles of Social Anxiety and Self-Control

Background and Aims

Mobile phone addiction among college students has gained considerable research attention because of its adverse effects on their health and academic performance. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the relationship between shyness and mobile phone addiction among college students.

Methods

Four questionnaires were used to examine whether mobile phone addiction tendency was predicted by shyness and the mediating roles of social anxiety and self-control among 3,189 Chinese college students. Correlation and mediation analyses were conducted using Hayes PROCESS.

Results

The results showed that (1) social anxiety (indirect effect = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.18–0.26) and self-control (indirect effect = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.21–0.25) played a partial mediating role in the relationship between shyness and mobile phone addiction tendency; (2) social anxiety and self-control also mediated the link between shyness and mobile phone addiction tendency sequentially (indirect effect = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.09 to 0.12).

Conclusion

These results suggest that mobile phone addiction among shy college students could be eliminated by alleviating social anxiety and strengthening self-control.

Perceived Stress and Short-Form Video Application Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Model

Nowadays, short-form video applications have become increasingly popular due to their strong appeal to people, especially among college students. With this trend, the phenomenon of short-form video application addiction (SVA) also become prominent, which is a great risk for individuals' health and adaptation. Against this background, the present study aimed to examine the association between perceived stress and SVA addiction, as well as its mechanism-the mediating role of self-compensation motivation (SCM) and the moderating role of shyness. A total of 896 Chinese college students was recruited to complete a set of questionnaires on perceived stress (PS), SCM, shyness, and short-form video applications. The results show that PS was positively associated with SVA, and SCM partially mediated this association. In addition, both the direct association between PS and SVA and the indirect effect of SCM were moderated by shyness and were stronger for individuals with higher levels of shyness. The results could not only deepen our understanding of the underlying factors of SVA but also provide suggestions for relevant prevention and intervention procedures.