Shyness and mobile phone dependency among adolescents: A moderated mediation model of basic psychological needs and family cohesion

Abstract

Abstract Existing studies have revealed the influence of shyness on mobile phone dependency, but few studies have been done from the perspective of the interaction between individual and environment. Therefore, this study examined the effect of shyness on mobile phone dependency and its underlying mechanism from this perspective. A total of 699 Chinese junior high school students finished measures of shyness, mobile phone dependency, basic psychological needs, and family cohesion. The results show that basic psychological needs partially mediated the association between shyness and mobile phone dependency. Moreover, the relationship between shyness and basic psychological needs as well as between basic psychological needs and mobile phone dependency were all moderated by family cohesion. Specifically, the moderating effects on high level family cohesion individuals were stronger than that on low level family cohesion individuals. These results are helpful to understand the complex mechanism of shyness on mobile phone dependency, and have certain practical implications for preventing and reducing junior high school students’ mobile phone dependency.