Insecure Attachment Styles and Unbalanced Family Functioning as Risk Factors of Problematic Smartphone Use in Spanish Young Adults: A Relative Weight Analysis.

Sonia Mangialavori,Maria Veronica Jimeno,Claudia Russo,Jorge Javier Ricarte,Daniela Barni,Marco Cacioppo,Giulio D'Urso

doi:10.3390/ejihpe11030075

Abstract

Young adulthood is the life stage during which people are more prone to develop problematic smartphone use (PSU). Only one study investigated the relationship among attachment styles, family functioning, and PSU, but thus far, no research has shown the relative importance that such dimensions may have on PSU. The main aim of this study was to analyze to what extent insecure attachment styles and unbalanced family functioning are related to PSU, investigating the specific weight of each dimension in a sample of young adults (N = 301; 82.7% females; Mage = 22.89; SD = 3.02). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire, including the Relationship Questionnaire, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale. The regression and relative weight analyses results showed that preoccupied attachment style and disengaged, chaotic, and enmeshed family functioning were positively related to PSU. Implications for future research and interventions were discussed.

Highlights

Smartphones allow extensive internet use, making a huge variety of apps available, including texting, gaming, and social networking [1]
Considering this background, the main aim of this study was to determine the relative importance of insecure attachment styles and dimensions of unhealthy family functioning in explaining problematic smartphone use (PSU) in a sample of young Spanish adults
Due to the relevance of this problematic behavior, the main aim of this study was to assess the relative importance of insecure attachment styles and unhealthy family functioning dimensions in predicting PSU

Summary

Introduction

Smartphones allow extensive internet use, making a huge variety of apps available, including texting, gaming, and social networking [1]. Smartphones represent approximately 90% of used devices in Spain [2], and they are an essential part of daily activities used to transform individuals’ lives. This transformation has caused an increase in concerns about problematic behaviors linked to their overuse, strongly associated with the growing number of applications or “apps” offered by smartphones [3]. PSU can be conceptualized as excessive attention and concern for smartphones and their related apps, a loss of control over the time spent on a smartphone, and a sense of discomfort where access to a smartphone is limited or impossible [7,8]. Few studies have documented the presence of loss of control (i.e., trouble consciously limiting one’s smartphone use), tolerance

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