The exacerbating role of perceived social support and the “buffering” role of depression in the relation between sensation seeking and adolescent smartphone addiction

Publication date: 1 August 2018 Source:Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 130 Author(s): Pengcheng Wang, Li Lei, Xingchao Wang, Jia Nie, Xiaoyuan Chu, Shuining Jin The present study examined the relation between sensation seeking and adolescent smartphone addiction, and tested both the moderating roles of perceived social support and depression on the relation between sensation seeking and smartphone addiction among Chinese adolescents. Six hundred and fifty-five adolescents completed measures regarding sensation seeking, smartphone addiction, perceived social support, and depression. The findings indicated that sensation seeking was positively significant associated with adolescent smartphone addiction. Contrary to the social support buffering hypothesis, the results indicated that perceived social support exacerbated the relation between sensation seeking and adolescent smartphone addiction. To be specific, for adolescents with a low level of perceived social support, the relation between sensation seeking and smartphone was positively significant, and for adolescents with a high level of perceived social support, the relation between sensation seeking and smartphone addiction was even stronger. Moreover, depression moderated the relation between sensation seeking and adolescent smartphone addiction. Specifically, for adolescents with a low level of depression, the relation between sensation seeking and smartphone addiction was positively significant, wh...
Source: Personality and Individual Differences - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research