Differences in the Effects of Reading and Aerobic Exercise Interventions on Inhibitory Control of College Students With Mobile Phone Addiction

The effect of mindfulness-based Tai Chi Chuan on mobile phone addiction among male college students is associated with executive functions

OBJECTIVE

Mindfulness-based Tai Chi Chuan (MTCC) have been shown to contribute to improvements in cognitive and executive functions. Changes in inhibition, an aspect of executive function, have been closely linked to mobile phone addiction. However, the relationship between these elements remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of an 8-week MTCC intervention on executive function, mindfulness levels, and mobile phone addiction in male college students. Additionally, the study explores the role of executive function in improving mobile phone addiction through MTCC interventions.

METHODS

Sixty-six male college students were selected as research subjects and randomly divided into a control group (33) and an experimental group (33). The control group maintained their normal physical activity levels without any additional intervention. In contrast, the experimental group underwent 8 weeks of MTCC training. Mindfulness levels were assessed using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), while mobile phone addiction was evaluated by the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI). The Flanker task, 1-back task, and More-Odd Shifting task were employed to evaluate inhibition, updating, and shifting aspects of executive function, respectively.

RESULTS

(1) The 8-week MTCC intervention significantly improved mobile phone addiction among male college students, with the intervention group showing a lower post-intervention MPAI score (46.09 ± 18.11) compared to the control group (56.55 ± 16.02), yielding a mean difference of -10.46 (95% CI: -18.92 to -1.99, p = 0.016). Mindfulness levels also improved significantly (p = 0.046), as did specific sub-functions of executive function: inhibition correct rate (p < 0.001), inhibition response (p = 0.001), and shifting correct rate (p = 0.001). No significant effects were observed for updating correct rate (p = 0.527) or updating response (p = 0.303). (2) Mobile phone addiction indices were significantly correlated with changes in inhibition response (r = 0.756, p = 0.000 < 0.01), updating response (r = 0.035, p = 0.045 < 0.05), and shifting response (r = 0.397, p = 0.022 < 0.05). (3) Mindfulness levels and inhibition levels were significantly correlated (r = 0.394, p = 0.023 < 0.05). (4) Changes in inhibition within executive functions partially mediated the improvement of mobile phone addiction, with the direct effect (0.716) and mediating effect (0.483) accounting for 59.72% and 40.28% of the total effect (1.199), respectively.

CONCLUSION

MTCC exercises significantly increase cognitive functions, leading to increased inhibition and attentiveness, and may be helpful in the prevention of addictions, including cell phone addictions.

The impact of physical exercise on mobile phone addiction among college students: a study based on Chinese universities

To explore the impact of physical exercise on mobile phone addiction (MPA) among college students and the underlying psychological mechanisms, a questionnaire survey method is utilized to conduct empirical analysis on students from multiple colleges in China. This study uses Physical Activity Rating Scale-3, Mobile Phone Addiction Tendencies Scale (MPATS), Self-Acceptance Questionnaire, and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale to measure psychological variables such as physical activity level, degree of MPA, and self-acceptance and perceived stress among college students. The study reveals the mechanism of physical exercise in reducing MPA. The research results demonstrate a significant negative correlation between MPA and physical exercise. Exercise frequency has the most remarkable influence on withdrawal symptoms and salience behaviors, with correlation coefficients of -0.35 and -0.30, respectively. These findings show that regular engagement in physical activity can substantially mitigate the dependency of college students on mobile phones. Exercise intensity and exercise duration also have a negative effect on MPA, and the correlation coefficient of exercise intensity on withdrawal symptoms is -0.32. Furthermore, self-acceptance as a moderating variable plays an important protective role within the nexus between physical exercise and MPA. Students with higher self-acceptance levels show significant remission in both withdrawal symptoms (β = -0.30) and mood changes (β = -0.28), with model interpretability increasing from 0.34 to 0.43. On the contrary, perceived stress, as a risk-regulating variable, is positively correlated with MPA, and the impact of perceived stress on withdrawal symptoms is 0.35. Additionally, under conditions of elevated perceived stress, the physical exercise's mitigating effect on mobile phone dependence is attenuated. Therefore, self-acceptance can enhance the individual's self-identity, weaken the negative emotional reaction brought by MPA, and help to improve the intervention effect of physical exercise. On the contrary, perceived stress weakens the relieving effect of physical exercise on mobile phone dependence, and individuals with high-stress levels are more likely to maintain MPA behavior. This study makes a valuable contribution to the literature on the interplay.

Effects of physical activity on mobile phone addiction among university students: the mediating roles of self-control and resilience

Background

In recent years, mobile phone addiction (MPA) has emerged as a significant public health concern, particularly among university students. Physical activity (PA) is believed to exert a beneficial influence on MPA within this demographic. However, the extent to which this influence is moderated by other factors remains uncertain. Evidence points to self-control and resilience as potential mediators that may partially account for the positive impact of PA on MPA. Accordingly, this study seeks to investigate the effect of PA on MPA and the mediating role of self-control and resilience in this relationship through a chain-mediated model.

Methods

The study involved 413 Chinese university students (208 males, mean age 20.59 ± 1.17 years), who completed the PA Rating Scale (PARS-3), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Self-Control Scale (SCS), the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), along with other psychosocial assessments. Pearson's correlation was employed to analyze the relationships between variables, while mediation models were examined using SPSS PROCESS and bootstrapped regression analysis.

Results

PA demonstrated a significant negative correlation with mobile phone addiction behaviors (β = -0.22, p < 0.01). Self-control and resilience moderated the relationship between PA and mobile phone addiction. Notably, PA influenced mobile phone addiction through the chain-mediated effects of self-control and resilience.

Conclusion

College students can alleviate MPA issues by consistently engaging in healthy PA, which is essential for enhancing self-control and bolstering resilience.

A longitudinal study on the effect of aerobic exercise intervention on the inhibitory control in college students with internet addiction

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on reactive inhibitory control in college students with internet addiction, examining both behavioral and electrophysiological changes over time.

Methods

A longitudinal study design was adopted, involving 48 male college students with internet addiction who were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. Participants in the experimental group engaged in 40 min aerobic cycling sessions three times per week for 12 weeks, while the control group maintained their usual physical activity levels without any intervention. A 3 × 2 × 3 mixed-factorial design was utilized, incorporating three time points (pre-experiment, 6 and 12 weeks), two groups (control and experimental), and three electrode sites (Fz, F3, F4). This design enabled the examination of the effects of aerobic exercise on reactive inhibitory control and its temporal dynamics in college students with internet addiction.

Results

A significant main effect of group was observed. Specifically, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly higher Nogo accuracy rate compared to the control group at both the mid-test (P < 0.01) and post-test (P < 0.001). Within the experimental group, the Nogo accuracy rate at the mid-test and post-test was significantly higher than at the pre-test (P < 0.001), with the post-test accuracy rate also significantly higher than the mid-test (P < 0.05). Time-frequency analysis revealed that, under the Nogo task, the energy values in the beta frequency band during the early (100-500 ms) and late (600-750 ms) time windows were significantly higher at the mid-test and post-test compared to the pre-test (P < 0.05), with the post-test values significantly exceeding those at the mid-test (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

(1) Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise significantly improves reactive inhibitory control in college students with internet addiction, with the magnitude of improvement increasing over the duration of the intervention. (2) Increased beta band energy during the early (100-500 ms) and late (600-750 ms) time windows serve as a key neurophysiological indicator of this enhancement.

Intervention Effect of Mindfulness-Based Mental Health Education Therapy on Adolescents Mobile Phone Addiction and Cognitive Tendency

Background

Teenagers are more prone to mobile phone addiction than other age groups due to their lack of self-control. This addiction to mobile phones severely affects their physical and mental health, causing irreversible harm as they grow older. As such, exploring suitable psychotherapy for their physical and mental development needs is essential, in ways that effectively change teenagers' mobile phone addictive behaviors.

Methods

An experimental study was conducted on 910 teenage volunteers recruited from 5 communities in Gansu, Hebei, and Liaoning Provinces in China from May to July 2023. The participants were screened using the Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale (MPAI). On the basis of the evaluation results, 56 individuals were selected based on the evaluation results and randomly divided into experimental and control groups, each comprising 28 individuals. The experimental group underwent an 8-week mindfulness-based mental health education therapy. Both groups were measured before and after the intervention.

Results

The mobile phone addiction score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.001). The cognitive tendency score and mental wellbeing score of the experimental group was significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.001).

Conclusion

Mindfulness-based mental health education therapy effectively alleviates teenagers' mobile phone addiction and improves their cognitive tendencies and mental health. This approach serves as a valuable reference for effectively preventing and managing mobile phone addiction among teenagers.

The effect of smartphone addiction on the relationship between psychological stress reaction and bedtime procrastination in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Previous studies on bedtime procrastination mainly focused on the influencing factors of stress and draw less attention on the role of family environment.

AIM

This study aimed to explore the effect of psychological stress reaction on bedtime procrastination in young adults, with considering the mediating effect of smartphone addiction, and the moderating effect of family cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A sample of 1217 young adults completed psychological stress reaction scale, Smartphone addiction tendency scale for young adults, bedtime procrastination scale and family cohesion scale. A moderated mediation model was conducted to clarify the effect of psychological stress reaction on bad bedtime procrastination in young adults.

RESULTS

The findings showed that: (1) The individual level of psychological stress reaction was positively associated with bedtime procrastination; (2) Smartphone addiction mediated the effect of psychological stress reaction on bedtime procrastination; (3) Family cohesion moderated the relationship among psychological stress reaction, smartphone addiction and bedtime procrastination.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the effect of smartphone addiction on the relationship between psychological stress reaction and bedtime procrastination during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these findings could provide novel evidence that family cohesion may serve as a protective factor against the negative consequences of smartphone addiction on bad bedtime procrastination.

The relationship between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students: Testing mediation and moderation effects

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, suspensions of activities and long periods of self-isolation led to a sharp increase in excessive use of mobile phones, which sparked public concern about mobile phone addiction (MPA). In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to physical exercise as a protective effect of MPA. However, more studies are needed to reveal this relationship and the exact mechanisms, based on which this study tested the mediating and moderating roles of self-control, rumination, psychological distress, and loneliness between physical exercise and MPA.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, primary data was collected by questionnaire from 1,843 college students (19.75 ± 1.3) from five universities in Sichuan Province in Mainland China. Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), Self-Control Scale (SCS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-20) were investigated. The mediating models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 3.3 software, in which the mediation variables were self-control, rumination, and psychological distress, and the moderation was loneliness. Gender, major, and grade were included as control variables.

Result

Self-control, rumination, and psychological distress played a simple mediating role between physical exercise and MPA. Moreover, not only self-control and rumination but also self-control and psychological distress played the chain mediating roles between physical exercise and MPA. The chain pathways were moderated by loneliness. Specifically, the effect was more substantial among college students with higher loneliness.

Conclusion

The conclusions corroborate and clarify that self-control, rumination, and psychological distress mediated the association between physical exercise and MPA, and the mediation effects were moderated via loneliness. This present study advanced our understanding of how and when college students’ physical exercise was related to MPA. It also illustrates that educators and parents should pay more attention to college students’ physical exercise.