Abstract
As mobile phones play an important role in people’s daily life in China, the problem of mobile phone addiction has become more prevalent among people, especially among young people in China. This study examined the relationship between College Students' mobile phone addiction and aggression, the mediating effect of alexithymia, and the moderating effect of connectedness to nature and sex. A sample of 621 college students completed mobile addiction index scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Connectedness to Nature Scale and aggression scale. The results showed that: (1) the level of individual mobile phone addiction is positively associated with the level of aggression; (2) Alexithymia mediates the effect of mobile phone addiction on aggression; (3) Sex and connectedness to nature moderate the relationship between alexithymia and aggression. The findings identified factors related college students' aggressive behavior, which has implications for strategies to prevent aggressive behavior among college students.
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Data Availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
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J.W. and Z.Y. conceived the study, designed the trial. Z.Y. and M.W. supervised the conduct of the trial and data collection. Z.Y.and M.W. provided statistical advice on study design and analyzed the data; J.W. and Z.Y. drafted the manuscript, and all authors contributed substantially to its revision. Z.Y. and H.H. took responsibility for the paper as a whole.
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Highlights
• Mobile phone addiction is positively associated with individual aggression among college students in China.
• Alexithymia mediates the relationship between mobile phone addiction and aggression.
• Connectedness to nature and sex moderate the relationship between alexithymia and aggression.
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Appendix A
Appendix A
Aggression has specific dimensions and these sub dimensions are well measured in this study (anger, hostility, physical aggression and verbal aggression). In order to better understand the gender differences of aggressiveness, this study used each sub dimension of aggressiveness to test the model 16.When anger was entered as the dependent variable, the model is still valid after controlling the covariates.Mobile phone addiction significantly predicted anger, βsimple slope = 0.06, t = 3.92, p < 0.001. The simple slope test of the moderating effect of sex between alexithymia and anger shows that when sex is male, alexithymia has a significant positive effect of aggression (βsimple slope = 0.23, t = 10.27, p < 0.001); However, when the sex is female, the positive effect of alexithymia on anger is weakened (βsimple slope = 0.12, t = 5.68, p < 0.001). The above results show that the level of sex moderate the relationship between alexithymia and anger.
When hostility was entered as the dependent variable, the model is still valid after controlling the covariates. Mobile phone addiction significantly predicted hostility, βsimple slope = 0.07, t = 5.06, p < 0.001. The simple slope test of the moderating effect of sex between alexithymia and hostility shows that when sex is male, alexithymia has a significant positive effect of aggression (βsimple slope = 0.22, t = 10.27, p < 0.001); However, when the sex is female, the positive effect of alexithymia on hostility is weakened (βsimple slope = 0.12, t = 5.68, p < 0.001). The above results show that the level of sex moderate the relationship between alexithymia and hostility.
When physical aggression was entered as the dependent variable, the model is still valid after controlling the covariates.Mobile phone addiction significantly predicted physical aggression, βsimple slope = 0.07, t = 4.85, p < 0.001. The simple slope test of the moderating effect of sex between alexithymia and physical aggression shows that when sex is male, alexithymia has a significant positive effect of aggression (βsimple slope = 0.18, t = 8.21, p < 0.001); However, when the sex is female, the positive effect of alexithymia on physical aggression is weakened (βsimple slope = 0.11, t = 5.40, p < 0.001). The above results show that the level of sex moderate the relationship between alexithymia and physical aggression.
When verbal aggression was entered as the dependent variable, the model is still valid after controlling the covariates.Mobile phone addiction significantly predicted verbal aggression, βsimple slope = 0.03, t = 4.40, p < 0.001. The simple slope test of the moderating effect of sex between alexithymia and verbal aggression shows that when sex is male, alexithymia has a significant positive effect of aggression (βsimple slope = 0.10, t = 9.17, p < 0.001); However, when the sex is female, the positive effect of alexithymia on verbal aggression is weakened (βsimple slope = 0.05, t = 5.06, p < 0.001). The above results show that the level of sex moderate the relationship between alexithymia and verbal aggression.
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Wu, J., Yang, Z., Wu, M. et al. The Relationship Between College Students' Mobile Phone Addiction and Aggression: A Moderated Mediation Model. Applied Research Quality Life 18, 1037–1055 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10126-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10126-z