Insecure Attachment and Technology Addiction Among Young Adults

The Mediating Role of Impulsivity, Alexithymia, and General Psychological Distress

Bibliographic Data

ID22004255
AuthorsChiara Remondi (0000-0002-2521-1408, Sapienza University of Rome, corresponding author), Angelo Compare (0000-0002-3336-7920, University of Bergamo), Giorgio A Tasca (0000-0001-7596-0661, University of Ottawa), Andrea Greco (0000-0002-8086-2801, University of Bergamo), Luca Pievani (University of Bergamo), Barbara Poletti (0000-0003-4398-2051, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano), Brugnera Agostino (0000-0002-4066-4552, University of Bergamo)
Year2020
Volume23
Issue11
Pages761-767
Publication date2020-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2152-2715 • E-ISSN: 2152-2723
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1089/cyber.2019.0747
PMID32757974
OpenAlexW3048070181
LanguageEN
Citations received25
References cited41

Previous studies have emphasized the effect of insecurity attachment on youth's Internet and smartphone addiction. In this study, we examine the mediating role of alexithymia, impulsivity, and general psychological distress in the relationship between insecure attachment dimensions and technology addiction. Data were collected from 539 adolescents and young adults, mostly women ( N = 378; 70.1 percent), aged 19.76 ± 1.99 years. Participants completed self-report measures of attachment insecurity, psychological risk factors (i.e., impulsivity, psychological distress, and alexithymia), and technology addiction (i.e., problematic Internet use, smartphone, and Internet addiction). The gender-related (i.e., multi-group) mediation model was tested through a path analysis with both observed and latent variables. Attachment anxiety had no direct effect on technology addiction, whereas attachment avoidance had a small negative direct effect, but only among women. Insecure attachment dimensions were significantly associated with psychological risk factors, whereas the latter had a significant, direct association with technology addiction. Psychological risk factors significantly mediated the association between insecure attachment dimensions and technology addiction. Finally, the tested model was gender-invariant. Findings suggest that insecure attachment dimensions have an indirect effect on the development of technology addiction mediated almost entirely by higher levels of psychological risk factors. Such findings might have relevant implications to inform any treatment plan for young adults who are overinvolved with technology activities and so to deliver patient-tailored interventions

Addiction · Alexithymia · Anxiety · Attachment theory · Impulsivity · Insecure attachment · Mediation · Psychiatry · Psychological distress · Psychological intervention · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Clinical Psychology · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology

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