Experiential avoidance and excessive smartphone use: a Bayesian approach (2018)

Adicciones. 2018 Dec 20;0(0):1151. doi: 10.20882/adicciones.1151.

[Article in English, Spanish; Abstract available in Spanish from the publisher]

Ruiz-Ruano García AM1, López-Salmerón MD, López Puga J.

Abstract

The smartphone is a common tool in our everyday lives. However, recent research suggests that using the smartphone has both positive and negative consequences. Although there is no agreement on the concept or the term to label it, researchers and clinical practitioners are worried about the negative consequences derived from excessive smartphone usage. This study aims to analyse the relationship between smartphone addiction and experiential avoidance. A sample of 1176 participants (828 women) with ages ranging from 16 to 82 (M = 30.97; SD = 12.05) was used. The SAS-SV scale was used to measure smartphone addiction and the AAQ-II to assess experiential avoidance. To model the relationship between variables, Bayesian inference and Bayesian networks were used. The results show that experiential avoidance and social networks usage are directly related to smartphone addiction. Additionally, the data suggests that sex is playing a mediating role in the observed relationship between these variables. These results are useful for understanding healthy and pathological interaction with smartphones and could be helpful in orienting or planning future psychological interventions to treat smartphone addiction.

PMID: 30627729

DOI: 10.20882/adicciones.1151