Parent-adolescent relationships, peer relationships, and adolescent mobile phone addiction: The mediating role of psychological needs satisfaction. (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gao, Qiufeng; Zheng, Haiyan; Sun, Ruimei; Lu, Sihan
• Is Part Of: Addictive behaviors. Volume 129(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: Parent-adolescent relationships -- Peer relationships -- Psychological needs satisfaction -- Mobile phone addiction; MPA mobile phone addiction -- PNS psychological needs satisfaction; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; Nicotine addiction -- Periodicals; Smoking -- Periodicals; Gambling -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.29
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107260
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4603

Abstract

Highlights: Positive parent-adolescent relationships (PAR) are negatively associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction (MPA). Peer relationships (PR) did not show a significant direct effect on MPA. The mediating roles of the three dimensions of PNS between PAR, PR, and MPA are different. Our findings provide implications for prevention and intervention work on adolescent MPA from the perspective of improving PAR, PR, and PNS. Abstract: Introduction: Prior studies have shown that parent-adolescent relationships and peer relationships may be important factors associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction (MPA). The present study aims to further explore the direct effects of parent-adolescent and peer relationships on adolescent MPA as well as the indirect effects through the mediating roles of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs satisfaction. Methods: Our sample consisted of 1766 Chinese adolescents (53.10% male; M age = 13.33, SD = 1.94, range from 10 to 18 years) who completed questionnaires regarding parent–adolescent relationships, peer relationships, psychological needs satisfaction, and MPA. SPSS 24.0 was used to analyze correlations among variables and Mplus 7.4 was used to test the structural equation model in this study. Results: (1) positive parent-adolescent relationships were negatively associated with adolescent MPA, while peer relationships did not show a significant association with MPA; (2) autonomy and competence needs satisfaction significantly mediated the effects of parent-adolescent and peer relationships on MPA, while the mediating role of relatedness need satisfaction between parent-adolescent and peer relationships and MPA was not significant; (3) the mediating effect of competence need satisfaction between peer relationships and MPA was significantly stronger than that between parent-adolescent relationships and MPA. Conclusions: This study explored the different mechanisms by which parent-adolescent and peer relationships influence adolescent MPA. These discoveries may contribute to intervention and prevention programs for adolescent MPA.