Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance in The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Smartphone Addiction: A Network Analysis

Authors : Gülşah Balaban, Yusuf Bilge
Pages : 133-155
Doi:10.31461/ybpd.1820856
View : 133 | Download : 315
Publication Date : 2025-12-25
Article Type : Research Paper
Abstract :This study aimed to examine the mediating role of experiential avoidance in the relationship between attachment styles and smartphone addiction, as well as to explore the interactions among these variables through a Gaussian partial correlation-based network analysis. The study sample consisted of 462 individuals aged between 18 and 64 years (M = 36.01, SD = 12.99), of whom 53.7% were female (n = 248) and 46.3% were male (n = 214). Data were collected using the Smartphone Addiction Scale–Short Form, the Attachment-Based Mental Representations Scale, and the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire-30. Analyses included independent samples t-tests, network analysis (Gaussian Graphical Model), and mediation analyses using PROCESS Macro (Model 4). Gender comparisons revealed that women scored significantly higher than men in insecure attachment, behavioral avoidance, and distress aversion, while no significant differences were found in secure attachment or smartphone addiction scores. Network analysis results indicated that procrastination and distress aversion were the most central and predictive nodes in the network. Mediation analyses showed that procrastination mediated the relationship between secure attachment and smartphone addiction. Furthermore, both procrastination and distress aversion were found to mediate the relationship between insecure attachment and smartphone addiction. The findings suggest that smartphone addiction is closely related to attachment patterns and avoidance-based coping strategies. In this context, it is recommended that clinical and preventive interventions targeting smartphone addiction also focus on individuals’ attachment patterns as well as their tendencies toward procrastination and distress avoidance.
Keywords : Bağlanma stilleri, Yaşantısal kaçınma, Akıllı telefon bağımlılığı

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