Wu Wenxia, Zou Xinyuan, Tang Qihui, Tao Yanqiang, Wang Shujian, Ma Zijuan, Li Min, Liu Gang
School of Marxism, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 29;15:1359932. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1359932. eCollection 2024.
Existing literature on the relationship between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and aggression has primarily focused on examining their unidirectional association, with limited attention paid to the bidirectional nature of this relationship, particularly when considering the role of empathy. This study employs a novel moderated network approach to examine the bidirectional relationship between problematic smartphone use and aggression, while also investigating the moderating mechanism of empathy.
A total of 2,469 students (49.1% female, = 13.83, = 1.48) from 35 junior and senior high schools in Harbin, China, participated in this study. Empathy level, aggressiveness, and PSU symptoms were assessed using the Basic Empathy Scale, the Buss-Warren Aggression Questionnaire, and the Mobile Phone Addiction Index.
Analysis revealed that the relationship between PSU and aggression was complex and bidirectional. The strongest association was observed between "hostility" and "withdrawal/escape". In addition, "anger" had the highest Expected Influence (EI) in both affective and cognitive moderate network models. An important discovery was also made regarding the conditional effect of "productive loss" and "physical aggression" across different levels of affective empathy. Specifically, at lower levels of affective empathy, a positive bidirectional relationship was found between "productive loss" and "physical aggression". However, this relationship turned negative and bidirectional at higher levels of affective empathy.
The findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics between PSU and aggression and highlight the need for targeted interventions that promote affective empathy to mitigate the negative consequences of excessive smartphone use.
现有关于问题智能手机使用（PSU）与攻击性之间关系的文献主要集中于研究它们的单向关联，而对这种关系的双向性质关注有限，尤其是在考虑同理心的作用时。本研究采用一种新颖的有调节的网络方法来检验问题智能手机使用与攻击性之间的双向关系，同时也探究同理心的调节机制。
来自中国哈尔滨35所初中和高中的2469名学生（49.1%为女性，年龄均值 = 13.83岁，标准差 = 1.48）参与了本研究。使用基本同理心量表、布斯-沃伦攻击性问卷和手机成瘾指数对同理心水平、攻击性和PSU症状进行评估。
分析表明，PSU与攻击性之间的关系是复杂且双向的。在“敌意”和“退缩/逃避”之间观察到最强的关联。此外，在情感和认知有调节网络模型中，“愤怒”都具有最高的预期影响（EI）。关于“生产性损失”和“身体攻击”在不同水平情感同理心下的条件效应也有一项重要发现。具体而言，在较低水平的情感同理心下，“生产性损失”和“身体攻击”之间存在正向双向关系。然而，在较高水平的情感同理心下，这种关系变为负向且双向。
这些发现有助于更全面地理解PSU与攻击性之间的复杂动态，并强调需要进行有针对性的干预，以促进情感同理心，减轻过度使用智能手机的负面后果。
