The longitudinal relationship between boredom proneness and mobile phone addiction: Evidence from a cross-lagged model

Abstract

Numerous studies have discussed the relationship between boredom proneness and mobile phone addiction based on cross-sectional data. However, the direction of the link between these two constructs remains unknown. The current study intended to explore the longitudinal relationship between boredom proneness and mobile phone addiction by conducting a cross-lagged analysis. Three hundred and fifty-two Chinese college students (55.1% female) completed questionnaires assessing boredom proneness and mobile phone addiction twice with an interval of 8 months. The cross-lagged analyses suggested that boredom proneness and mobile phone addiction are mutually influenced, and mobile phone addiction is a stronger predictor of boredom proneness than the other way around. Besides, the multi-group analysis demonstrated that the bidirectional relationship remained consistent across gender. Given the vicious circle between these two constructs, schools should pay close attention to preventive education and counseling for college students’ boredom proneness and mobile phone addiction.