Parental neglect and smartphone addiction in junior high school students: The mediating role of experiential avoidance and the moderating role of environmental sensitivity.

BACKGROUND

Exploring the underlying mechanisms of smartphone addiction among adolescents is of practical significance for the prevention and intervention of this issue.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental neglect and smartphone addiction among junior high school students and to explore the mediating role of experiential avoidance and the moderating role of environmental sensitivity.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

The sample included 901 junior high school students in Hebei Province, China.

METHODS

A survey was conducted using the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Parental Neglect Scale, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (version 2), and the Environmental Sensitivity Scale.

RESULTS

Parental neglect positively predicted smartphone addiction in junior high school students. Experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between parental neglect and smartphone addiction. Environmental sensitivity moderated the direct path in the mediation model; specifically, the positive predictive effect of parental neglect on smartphone addiction was stronger among students with lower environmental sensitivity. Additionally, environmental sensitivity moderated both the first and second halves of the mediation model, indicating that, with higher environmental sensitivity, the positive predictive effect of parental neglect on experiential avoidance was stronger, as was the positive effect of experiential avoidance on smartphone addiction.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms linking parental neglect to smartphone addiction among junior high school students and highlight the importance of considering both maladaptive emotional regulation processes and individual differences in environmental sensitivity when developing prevention and intervention strategies.