(PS1-7) Associations Between Mobile Phone Addiction and Behavioral and Sociocultural Constructs in a Latinx College Student Sample

Abstract Text: Mobile phone usage has drastically increased given that an estimated 100% of emerging adults report owning a mobile phone (Coyne et al., 2019). While mobile phones offer numerous benefits (e.g., social networking), excessive use may result in mobile phone addiction (MPA), leading to problematic psychosocial, behavioral, and physical consequences (Liu et al., 2020). Previous research has shown that behaviors such as phubbing–using one’s phone in the presence of someone else, may lead to greater interpersonal challenges (Xie et al., 2019). However, limited studies have examined MPA in relation to sociocultural constructs such as family conflict and acculturation. This study assessed the relationships between MPA and behavioral and sociocultural constructs among Latinx college students.

Latinx college students (n = 421; Mage= 19.96 years, SD = 1.78; 73.2% female) were recruited through SONA. After providing informed consent, participants completed a survey with the following questionnaires: demographics, Mobile Phone Addiction (MPA), Generic Scale of Phubbing (GSP), Generic Scale of Being Phubbed (GSBP), Family Conflicts Scale (FCS), and the Abbreviated Multidimensional Acculturation Scale (AMAS-14). Two linear regressions assessed associations between MPA, sex, age, and behavioral and sociocultural constructs, while controlling for sex and age.

Both behavioral (F(9, 503) = 46.75, R2 =.45, p<.001) and sociocultural (F(6, 394) = 5.10, R2 = .07, p<.001) models were significant. In the behavioral model, MPA was positively associated with GSP Nomophobia (=.506, p<.001), GSP Interpersonal Conflict (β=.118, p= .012), and GSP Problem Acknowledgment (β=.196, p<.001). In the sociocultural model, MPA was inversely associated with age (β=-.149, p= .003), and positively associated with Family Conflict (β=.154, p= .002) and AMAS-14 U.S. Acculturation Identity (β=.170, p<.001).

In the behavioral model, the associations of MPA with nomophobia, interpersonal conflict, and problem acknowledgement suggest that individuals with higher levels of MPA experience greater anxiety when separated from their phone, increased phubbing-related conflict with others (Han et al., 2022), and recognition of their problematic use and its consequences. In the sociocultural model, that MPA was associated with younger age, family conflict, and U.S. acculturation identity suggest that younger individuals tend to use mobile phones more frequently to the point of addiction and may rely on them as a coping mechanism for familial conflicts (Kim et al., 2019). Furthermore, the significant link between MPA and U.S. acculturation identity indicates that as an individual becomes more acculturated, their likelihood of problematic phone use increases, possibly due to the greater exposure and engagement with mainstream media. The study's limitations are the cross-sectional and correlational nature of the study and the use of self-reported measures. Future prospective studies should assess the potential influences of other cultural constructs to gain stronger insight into these relationships.