Связь зависимости от смартфона с признаками психологического неблагополучия у россиян и украинцев

Abstract

Introduction. Smartphone addiction is the most widespread non-medical digital addiction associated with signs of psychological distress, which makes the study relevant. The purpose of the study is to identify similarities and differences in the relationship between smartphone addiction and signs of psychological distress (impulsivity, narcissism, lack of assertiveness, vulnerability to manipulation, addiction to social media) in Russian and Ukrainian men and women. Methods. Smartphone addiction was diagnosed using the CAC-16 questionnaire (developed by V. P. Sheinov), assertiveness was diagnosed with a shortened version (A23) of the assertiveness questionnaire (V. P. Sheinov), exposure to manipulation was diagnosed with the questionnaire “Assessment of the degree of vulnerability of an individual to manipulation” (B. P. Sheinov), addiction to social media with the ZSS-15 questionnaire (V. P. Sheinov, A. S. Devitsyn), impulsiveness with V. A. Losenkov’s method, narcissism with E. Kot’s questionnaire. The data for the study were obtained in an online survey of 663 respondents, including 412 Russian residents and 251 residents of Ukraine. Results. Russian and Ukrainian samples of men and women revealed the following similarities as regards correlation between smartphone addiction and personal qualities: a negative correlation with assertiveness and positive correlation with impulsivity, loss of self-control, fear of refusal to use a smartphone, euphoria from its use, addiction to social media and the related factors. No correlation with vulnerability to manipulation was found. Regardless of gender and geographic location, the strongest link is between smartphone addiction and loss of self-control. Russian female respondents showed a negative correlation between smartphone addiction and narcissism, while a positive correlation was found in Ukrainians of both sexes. Conclusion. The prospects of the study are related to the expansion of the range of studied personal qualities and traits, presumably associated with smartphone addiction. Similar studies may be conducted in other regions.