Social Exclusion, Self-Forgiveness, Mindfulness, and Internet Addiction in College Students: a Moderated Mediation Approach

The influence of core self-evaluation, mindful awareness, & anger rumination on forgiveness

Forgiveness is crucial for emotional wellbeing and good mental health. It is therefore important to understand what cognitive processes may promote forgiveness to achieve optimal outcomes for individuals. There is some evidence to suggest that core self-evaluation (CSE) is related to how forgiving an individual may be. However, these studies have shown that this influence may be mediated by other cognitive processes. To date, the combined role of anger rumination and mindfulness as potential mediators has not been considered. This is despite recognized associations with constructs that underly CSE. To address this gap in knowledge, this study aimed to explore the relationship between CSE and forgiveness; considering whether this relationship is mediated by mindfulness and anger rumination. A further contribution to knowledge was that these relationships were considered across the three subtypes of forgiveness: self, others, and situation. A total of 490 participants (54% men; 45% women; 1% non-binary; average age = 43.7 years; SD = 17.7) provided complete responses to an online questionnaire measuring CSE, forgiveness, mindfulness, and anger rumination. The results demonstrated that CSE was positively related to forgiveness and mindfulness and negatively related to anger rumination. Mediation analysis demonstrated that some of the influence of CSE on forgiveness was through mindfulness and anger rumination. These results indicate that people with higher levels of CSE tend to have a greater degree of mindfulness, are less likely to engage in anger rumination, and are subsequently more likely to be forgiving. These findings provide further insight into the beliefs and processes that contribute to an individual's willingness to forgive. It also suggests that interventions targeting CSE, mindfulness, and anger rumination can help with the promotion of forgiveness.

A Hybrid SEM-ANN Approach to Investigate the Internet Addiction Among University Students Based on Psychological Resilience Theory and Cognitive-Behavioral Theory

The internet is now essential in college students' lives, but its overuse is turning into a worldwide issue, notably with rising internet addiction among students. Earlier studies have mainly explored the risk factors of internet addiction, yielding various findings. This study aims to delve into the key factors affecting internet addiction among university students by integrating the theory of psychological resilience with cognitive-behavioral theory. It thoroughly analyzes how self-control, emotional regulation, social support, perceived stress, and psychological resilience influence internet addiction and explores their interactions and underlying mechanisms. The study conveniently selected 999 university students for a survey to measure their self-reported ratings on six constructs: self-control, emotional regulation, perceived stress, psychological resilience, social support, and internet addiction. Employing a Structural Equation Modeling - Artificial Neural Network (SEM-ANN) approach, the study unveiled complex and non-linear relationships between predictors and internet addiction. Results indicated that self-control and psychological resilience significantly reduce internet addiction, while perceived stress notably increases the risk. Notably, emotional regulation and social support did not directly lower the risk of internet addiction. Further analysis revealed that psychological resilience plays a mediating role between self-control, emotional regulation, social support, and internet addiction. Additionally, multilayer perceptron analysis of normalized importance showed self-control as the most critical predictive factor (100%), followed by emotional regulation (9.1%), social support (8.4%), and psychological resilience (5.4%). The study contributes theoretical and practical insights into internet addiction among university students.

Social Exclusion and Online Aggressive Behavior: Mediation Through Ego Depletion and Moderation Through Mindfulness

The popularity and availability of the Internet has led to a higher frequency of online aggressive behavior, which has aroused increasing attention among researchers. The present study investigated the relationship between social exclusion and online aggressive behavior based on the general aggression model, as well as mediation through ego depletion and moderation through mindfulness. A sample of 953 college students (466 men and 487 women) were recruited to complete questionnaires that assessed social exclusion, online aggressive behavior, ego depletion, and mindfulness. The results showed that social exclusion was significantly and positively associated with online aggressive behavior and that ego depletion played a mediating role in this relationship. Additionally, mindfulness moderated the effect of social exclusion on ego depletion and online aggressive behavior. Specifically, compared to individuals with a high level of mindfulness, individuals with a low level of mindfulness who were experiencing social exclusion were more prone to experiencing ego depletion and partaking in online aggressive behaviors. This study deepens the existing understanding of the mechanisms through which social exclusion affects online aggressive behavior, which could have practical implications for the prevention of and interventions against online aggressive behaviors.

Investigating the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between internet addiction and mental health among university students

INTRODUCTION

The widespread use of the internet has brought numerous benefits, but it has also raised concerns about its potential negative impact on mental health, particularly among university students. This study aims to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and mental health in university students, as well as explore the mediating effects of emotional intelligence in this relationship.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this study was to examine whether internet addiction (dimensions and total) negatively predicts the mental health of university students, with emotional intelligence acting as a mediator.

METHODS

To address this objective, a cross-sectional design with an inferential approach was employed. Data were collected using the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS-S), Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), and Keyes' Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). The total sample consisted of 850 students from two large public higher education institutions in Ethiopia, of which 334 (39.3%) were females and 516 (60.7%) were males, with a mean age of 22.32 (SD = 4.04). For the purpose of the study, the data were split into two randomly selected groups: sample 1 with 300 participants for psychometric testing purposes, and sample 2 with 550 participants for complex mediation purposes. Various analyses were conducted to achieve the stated objectives, including Cronbach's alpha and composite reliabilities, bivariate correlation, discriminant validity, common method biases, measurement invariance, and structural equation modeling (confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and mediation analysis). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the construct validity of the WLEIS-S, IAS, and MHC-SF. Additionally, a mediating model was examined using structural equation modeling with the corrected biased bootstrap method.

RESULTS

The results revealed that internet addiction had a negative and direct effect on emotional intelligence (β = -0.180, 95%CI [-0.257, -0.103], p = 0.001) and mental health (β = -0.204, 95%CI [-0.273, -0.134], p = 0.001). Also, Internet Craving and Internet obsession negatively predicted EI (β = -0.324, 95%CI [-0.423, -0.224], p = 0.002) and MH (β = -0.167, 95%CI [-0.260, -0.069], p = 0.009), respectively. However, EI had a significant and positive direct effect on mental health (β = 0.494, 95%CI [0.390, 0.589], p = 0.001). Finally, EI fully mediated the relationship between internet addiction and mental health (β = -0.089, 95%CI [-0.136, -0.049], p = 0.001). Besides The study also confirmed that all the scales had strong internal consistency and good psychometric properties.

CONCLUSION

This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex interplay between internet addiction, emotional intelligence, and mental health among university students. The findings highlight the detrimental effects of internet addiction on mental health, and the crucial mediating role of emotional intelligence.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The findings discussed in relation to recent literature have practical implications for practitioners and researchers aiming to enhance mental health and reduce internet addiction among university students. Emotional intelligence can be utilized as a positive resource in interventions and programs targeting these issues.

Coronavirus-Related Stressors, Resilient Mindset, Loneliness, Depressive Symptoms in College Students: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak alarmingly threats the mental health and functioning of people globally. The present study aims to examine the moderated mediation role of resilient mindset and loneliness in the association of coronavirus stress and depressive symptoms. We recruited 394 undergraduate students from a state university in Türkiye, ranging in age between 18 and 47 years (M = 22.76, SD = 3.88; 65% female). The main results revealed that resilient mindset mediated the relationship between coronavirus-related stress and depressive symptoms. Moreover, loneliness moderated the mediating effect of resilient mindset in the coronavirus stress and depressive symptoms association. Taken together, these findings pointed out that the effects of the coronavirus stress on depressive symptoms can be captured better by underlying psychological mechanisms, namely resilient mindset and loneliness.

The Relationship among Internet Addiction, Moral Potency, Mindfulness, and Psychological Capital

This research aimed to contribute to the literature on internet addiction (IA) and moral development among university students. Moral potency (MP) encompasses the interconnected dimensions of moral courage, moral ownership, and moral efficacy. Studies on the relationships between students' problematic behaviors (e.g., IA) and cognitive processes like MP, mindfulness (MI), and psychological capital (PsyCap) are scarce in educational research. Therefore, this study investigated the relationships among IA, MP, MI, and PsyCap in university students. This study included 868 undergraduate students from a state university in Ethiopia, with 526 male students (60.6%) and 342 female students (39.4%). Participants' ages ranged from 21 to 29 years, with a mean age of 22.31 and a standard deviation of 4.03. The findings indicated that IA was negatively correlated with MI, PsyCap, and MP. Both MI and PsyCap showed positive correlations with MP. Importantly, this study revealed that IA had a direct and negative impact on MI, PsyCap, and MP. Further, MI and PsyCap partially mediated and fully mediated the relationship between IA and MP. These findings suggest that cultivating MI and positive PsyCap among university students could be an important strategy to reduce the risks of IA and enhance their moral development. This study contributes to the limited research on the complex relationships between technology use, psychological resources, and moral functioning in emerging adulthood.

Social Exclusion and Short Video Addiction: The Mediating Role of Boredom and Self-Control

Background

Short video apps are very popular among Chinese college students, and some students even rely on them. Most of the current research has focused only on Internet addiction and has seldom focused on the phenomenon of short video addiction. Its influencing factors and formation mechanism are worth exploring.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the relationship between social exclusion and short video addiction among college students and the mediating roles of boredom and self-control.

Methods

This study adopted a multistage investigation and investigated 532 college students (39% male; mean age 19.32 ± 1.23 years) with a social exclusion scale, boredom proneness scale, self-control scale, and short video addiction scale. The mediating effect was tested with Process 3.1.

Results

The results showed that social exclusion has a positive predictive effect on college student's short video addiction. The impact of social exclusion on college student's short video addiction was mediated by boredom and self-control, and the chained mediation of boredom and self-control.

Conclusion

Theoretically, this study modified the I-PACE model, indicating that personal and distant social factors should be considered in individuals with behavioral addictions, such as short video addiction. Practically, the results suggested that schools should reduce peer rejection and improve students' mental health literacy to reduce boredom and enhance self-control, thus effectively preventing short video addiction.

Psychological interventions to promote self-forgiveness: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Being able to forgive one's own wrongdoings improves the health and well-being of a person. People find it difficult to forgive themselves due to different reasons. It is essential to enhance the ability to accept one's deeds and thereby enhance self-forgiveness. The current systematic review's objective is to comprehend the application and efficiency of numerous interventions that improve self-forgiveness.

METHODS

The search was done on electronic databases such as PubMed, ERIC, Web of Science, PsycNet, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The initial search yielded 399 articles. After the duplicate removal, 19 articles met the eligibility criteria. Two studies were identified through related references. Thus, 21 articles were finalized for review. The study adhered to the PRISMA recommendations for systematic reviews.

RESULTS

The 21 finalized articles varied in method, participants, research design, duration, measurement tools used, and observed outcomes. Thirteen of the 21 finalized articles followed interventions specifically designed to promote self-forgiveness. Interventions are seen to be applied at both individual and group levels.

CONCLUSION

The review categorizes the interventions into self-directed and group. The self-directed interventions, notably those based on Enright's process model, demonstrate its efficiency in nurturing self-forgiveness. Self-forgiveness interventions are also found to be effective in promoting other positive psychological and clinical variables. Further implications and future research avenues are outlined.

Addressing cortex dysregulation in youth through brain health check coaching and prophylactic brain development

The Carter Center has estimated that the addiction crisis in the United States (US), if continues to worsen at the same rate, may cost the country approximately 16 trillion dollars by 2030. In recent years, the well-being of youth has been compromised by not only the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic but also the alarming global opioid crisis, particularly in the US. Each year, deadly opioid drugs claim hundreds of thousands of lives, contributing to an ever-rising death toll. In addition, maternal usage of opioids and other drugs during pregnancy could compromise the neurodevelopment of children. A high rate of DNA polymorphic antecedents compounds the occurrence of epigenetic insults involving methylation of specific essential genes related to normal brain function. These genetic antecedent insults affect healthy DNA and mRNA transcription, leading to a loss of proteins required for normal brain development and function in youth. Myelination in the frontal cortex, a process known to extend until the late 20s, delays the development of proficient executive function and decision-making abilities. Understanding this delay in brain development, along with the presence of potential high-risk antecedent polymorphic variants or alleles and generational epigenetics, provides a clear rationale for embracing the Brain Research Commission's suggestion to mimic fitness programs with an adaptable brain health check (BHC). Implementing the BHC within the educational systems in the US and other countries could serve as an effective initiative for proactive therapies aimed at reducing juvenile mental health problems and eventually criminal activities, addiction, and other behaviors associated with reward deficiency syndrome.

Correlation of negative emotion, fatigue level and internet addiction in college students: implication for coping strategies

BACKGROUND

Internet addiction has an important influence on the development of physical and mental health of college students. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current status and the correlation between college students' negative emotion, fatigue level and Internet addiction disorder, and to provide reference for the care and management of college students.

METHODS

We conducted a questionnaire survey on a cluster sample of college students from October to November 15, 2022. Internet addiction scale, fatigue assessment scale and positive and negative emotion scale were used for survey. Pearson correlation analysis and mediating effect test were performed to analyze the correlation and effects.

RESULTS

A total of 1546 valid questionnaires were collected. The incidence of internet addiction in college student was 20.38%. The total score of internet addiction was 52.94 ± 12.47, the total fatigue score was 69.27 ± 3.19, the score of positive emotion of college students was 31. 41 ± 5.09, and the negative emotion score was 18.54 ± 5.68. The total score of internet addiction were positively correlated with score of negative emotion (all P < 0. 05). The total score of internet addiction scale of college students were positively correlated and each factor score of with the score of fatigue severity (all P < 0. 05). Fatigue played an intermediary role in the prediction of negative emotion and internet addiction of college students, with an intermediary role of-0.433, accounting for 76.35% of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

The college students' positive emotion may be strengthened to reduce their fatigue level and negative emotion so as to reduce internet addiction.

The impact of social exclusion on impulsive buying behaviour of consumers on online platforms: Samples from China

Social exclusion is a common phenomenon in modern social life that has significant negative effects on those who were excluded. The excluded may adopt strategic impulsive consumption behaviors in order to gain a sense of belonging and repair social relations, and the rapid development of online shopping platforms has intensified the occurrence of impulsive purchasing behaviors. Therefore, the internal mechanism between the two needs to be clarified. This study utilised SPSS 26.0, Mplus8.0 and HLM6.08 to analyse the data from 417 questionnaires, focused on exploring the internal mechanism between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour, and yielded the following conclusions. (1) Social exclusion is positively correlated with impulsive purchasing behaviour. (2) Relative deprivation plays a mediating role between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour. (3) The need to belong plays an intermediary role between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour. (4) Self-control plays a moderating role between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour. These conclusions could provide a basis for enterprises to formulate rational marketing strategies and create consumer demand.

The support group impact on enhancing the self-worth of women who terminated a pregnancy in adolescence

BACKGROUND

Terminating a pregnancy can be a traumatic life event, resulting in negative emotions that can diminish women's self-worth. Support from different sources, including health support groups, could be beneficial in restoring a woman's self-worth. This article aimed to present findings on the impact of a support group intervention on the self-worth of women who terminated a pregnancy in adolescence.

METHODS

A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, was used to collect data. Thematic analysis guided the data analysis.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged from the data: reasons for joining the support group; enhanced emotional and physical wellbeing; self-forgiveness; spiritual growth and participants' voices.

CONCLUSION

Participants described why they needed to join the support group. It became clear that the intercession was effective in the short term as it enhanced participants' self-worth by encouraging them to accept themselves thereby altering their self-condemning emotions, replacing them with self-love.Contribution: The study recommends that a support group should be considered as a backup for women who terminated a pregnancy and have lost their self-worth.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Internet Addiction in Young Adults: A Pilot Study on Positive and Negative Psychosocial Correlates

Objective

During and after the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic period, a strain was put on young adults who have taken refuge in the problematic use of internet, social media, gaming, and gambling. This paper aims to investigate possible correlates of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), hypothesizing anxiety, depression and perceived stress would promote addiction, while mindfulness skills, resilience and socialization would, conversely, hamper IAD, and promote, consequently, a more functional internet use.

Method

A pilot study was carried out with a sample of 31 young adults, recruited through a snowball sampling using social networks. Participants filled out an online questionnaire including the following measures: Internet Use, Abuse and Addiction (UADI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y); Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ); Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS); Resilience Scale (RS-14). It was also administered an ad hoc questionnaire for the assessment of socialization behaviour (6 items) and gambling (2 items).

Results

All the measures, but socialization, showed adequate reliability. Our sample showed high levels of anxiety, stress, IA and gambling, while presenting low levels of resilience, the mindful skill of no-reactivity and socialization. The first hypothesis was confirmed, finding positive and significant correlations between Internet Addiction on one side and PSS, STAI-Y1, STAY-2, and BDI II on the other side. We also partially confirmed the second hypothesis about UADI negatively correlated with both RS-14 and Mindful Acting. Finally, no correlations were found between Gambling and IA.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the more one perceives an emotional overload with less stress-control, high anxiety, and depression, and the less one can leverage on the skills of mindful acting and resilience, the more one uses the internet as a strategy to escape from a threatening reality.

The relationship between self-forgiveness and psychological wellbeing in prison inmates: The mediating role of mindfulness

BACKGROUND

Previous research with general population samples has consistently shown that forgiveness and mindfulness facilitate coping with distressing experiences and significantly promote mental health. No study, however, has examined their unique contribution to prisoners' psychological wellbeing nor has considered the different forms of self-forgiveness among prisoners.

AIMS

Our aim was to investigate the role of mindfulness in mediating any association between prisoners' self-forgiveness and psychological wellbeing and to test whether any such links are moderated by years spent in prison. In this study self-forgiveness was conceptualised as a multidimensional construct, including presence of genuine self-forgiveness, absence of pseudo self-forgiveness and/or absence of self-punitiveness.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from a prison in Northern Italy. Consenting men were asked to complete an anonymous self-report questionnaire with only a researcher present.

RESULTS

104 male prisoners (mean age 46.63 years, SD 11.38) took part. Findings were that self-punitiveness was inversely related to well-being, with mindfulness mediating this relationship, this while controlling for the other dimensions of self-forgiveness and the perceived severity of the crime committed. Contrary to expectation, we found no direct relationship between genuine self-forgiveness and well-being, but the moderated mediation models showed that genuine self-forgiveness was positively associated with mindfulness and, through this, had an indirect association with wellbeing, significant only for prisoners who had already spent several years in prison.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings confirm that self-forgiveness is a complex construct, worthy of further investigation among offenders. They suggest that forgiveness interventions for prisoners should include modules aimed at primarily reducing self-punitive attitudes. Promotion of genuine self-forgiveness should be tried only with awareness that this is likely to take a very long time. In such circumstances, interventions may promote energy to be invested in mindful processes with a consequent improvement in psychological wellbeing.

Exploring the relationship between social exclusion and smartphone addiction: The mediating roles of loneliness and self-control

Previous studies have identified many antecedents of smartphone addiction. However, social exclusion as a risk factor for smartphone addiction has not been widely studied, and little is known concerning the psychological mechanism underlying this association. The present study tested the influence of social exclusion on smartphone addiction as well as the mediating roles of loneliness and self-control in this relationship. An online survey was conducted, and the sample consisted of 573 university students (323 females). The results revealed that (1) social exclusion was a positive predictor of smartphone addiction; (2) loneliness and self-control separately mediated the association between social exclusion and smartphone addiction; and (3) loneliness and self-control sequentially mediated the relation between social exclusion and smartphone addiction. Possible explanations were discussed. The findings of the current study would contribute to understanding the relationships between these study variables as well as the psychological mechanisms underlying these associations.

Social Exclusion and Impulsive Buying among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem and the Moderating Role of Risk Preference

With the development of science and technology, buying has become much easier. At the same time, however, impulsive buying has many negative consequences for college students, such as dissatisfaction and debt; the causes of impulsive buying should, therefore, be explored urgently. There are numerous empirical studies indicating that social exclusion may be a potential factor of impulsive buying, and the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. In this study, we used the Social Exclusion Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Risk Preference Scale, and Impulsive Buying Scale, as well as a cross-sectional design to investigate the roles of self-esteem and risk preference in the relationship between social exclusion and impulsive buying among 768 college students (387 were female, M_age = 20.25 years). The results were as follows: (1) when controlling for gender, age, family monthly income, and monthly living expenses, social exclusion significantly and positively predicted impulsive buying; (2) self-esteem played a mediating role between social exclusion and impulsive buying; (3) risk preference moderated the relationship between the second half of the mediating path and the direct path. These results reveal the mechanism underlying impulsive buying in college students, that is, social exclusion will predict the decrease in college students’ self-esteem, and low self-esteem will further predict college students’ impulsive buying, which is a way for them to gain a sense of self-worth. Relatively low risk preference can well alleviate the negative impact of social exclusion and low self-esteem on impulsive buying. What is more, these results have implications for impulsive buying interventions and preventions. Schools should aim to create a good peer atmosphere by implementing certain rules that help to reduce social exclusion, and parents and education departments should cultivate students’ risk awareness to avoid risk behaviors in college students, such as impulsive buying behavior. This study fills the research gap regarding college students’ impulsive buying and explores its internal psychological mechanism.