Keywords

state anxiety, entertainment motivation, social interaction motivation, excessive smartphone use

Abstract

Excessive smartphone use has recently attracted researchers’ attention. Previous studies have suggested that state anxiety and motivations are important predictors of excessive smartphone use. However, few studies have investigated how motivations and state anxiety interact with each other, and the subsequent impact on excessive smartphone use. In the current study, based on the Compensatory Internet Use theory, we analyzed the moderating role of state anxiety on the relationship between two types of motivations (i.e. entertainment and social interaction) and excessive smartphone use. Using the Smartphone Addiction Scale for College Students (SAS-C), Smartphone Usage Motivation Scale and State Anxiety Scale (S-Anxiety), we investigated 600 Chinese college students who identified themselves as smartphone users. Results indicated that: (1) for the high smartphoneuse group, state anxiety moderates the relationship between entertainment and social interaction motivations and excessive smartphone use; (2) for the low smartphone-use group, state anxiety does not moderate the relationship between entertainment and social interaction motivations and excessive smartphone use. Our study emphasized the importance of psychological wellbeing variables (i.e. anxiety in this study) in facilitating excessive smartphone use, and may provide guidance for the design of interventions targeted at people suffering from excessive smartphone use.

Original Publication Citation

Shen, X., Wang, H. Z., Rost, D. H., Gaskin, J., & Wang, J. L. (2019). State anxiety moderates the association between motivations and excessive smartphone use. Current Psychology, 1-9.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2021

Publisher

Current Psychology

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Information Systems Management

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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