The Mediational Role of Coping Strategies in the Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Risk of Internet Addiction

The aim of the present study is to explore, through a mediation model, the relationship among self-esteem, coping strategies, and the risk of Internet addiction in a sample of 300 Italian university students. We submitted the data to a descriptive, mediational comparison between variables (t-test), and correlational statistical analyses. The results confirmed the effect of self-esteem on the risk of Internet addiction. However, we found that the introduction of coping strategies as a mediator gives rise to partial mediation. A low level of self-esteem is a predictor of avoidance-oriented coping that, in turn, affects the risk of Internet addiction

Selfitis behavior: assessing the Italian version of the Selfitis Behavior Scale and its mediating role in the relationship of dark traits with social media addiction

Research on selfie-related behavior has recently flourished. The present study expands theoretical and empirical work on phenomenon by assessing the psychometric properties of the Selfitis Behavior Scale among an Italian sample and by examining its unexplored mediating role in the relationships between dark triad traits and social media addiction. A total of 490 participants (53.1% females) completed a self-report survey including socio-demographics, the Selfitis Behavior Scale (SBS), the Short Dark Triad Scale (SD3), and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Results showed the SBS had a five-factor structure with good psychometrics properties in terms of reliability coefficients and measurement invariance across gender. In addition, findings from the path model supported the mediating role of selfitis behavior in the relationships of narcissism and psychopathy with social media addiction. Machiavellianism was found to be unrelated to selfitis behavior and social media addiction. The model shed light into the previous inconsistent findings on the associations between dark triad traits and social media addiction by taking into account the key role of selfitis behavior as an underlying mechanism. The findings may explain individual differences in personality traits associated with co-dependence (i.e., the combination of the dependence on self and others and social media addiction)

Dark triad of personality and problematic smartphone use: a preliminary study on the mediating role of fear of missing out

The present study examined whether the relationship between the Dark Triad (DT) of personality and problematic smartphone use (PSU) can be explained by the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO). The role of FoMO in this relationship has yet to be examined. A total of 457 participants completed an online survey. Results indicated that males scored high on measures assessing DT of personality, while females scored high on PSU. Structural equation modelling showed that narcissism was directly associated with PSU. FoMO partially mediated the association between narcissism and PSU. Machiavellianism and narcissism were directly associated with FoMO. In the fully mediated model, narcissism (but not Machiavellianism) was still associated with FoMO, and in turn, FoMO was related to PSU. Although preliminary, the results of the present study indicated that Machiavellianism and narcissism might represent antecedents of FoMO, in addition to the Big Five personality traits, and both could be involved in the development of PSU

Problematic smartphone use and problematic social media use: the predictive role of self-construal and the mediating effect of fear missing out

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) are two interrelated constructs which have received significant research attention over the past decade. The present study investigated the relationship between self-construal (distinguished as independent and interdependent), PSU and PSMU with Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) as a mediating variable. The sample comprised 405 Italian students who completed standardized psychometric scales assessing the variables of the study. Bivariate correlations analysis showed that FoMO and independent self-construal was significantly and negatively associated. On the contrary, interdependent self-construal was significantly and positively associated with FoMO, PSU, and PSMU. Mediation analysis showed that FoMO mediated the relationship between self-construal and both PSMU and PSU, but at different levels. The results demonstrated that FoMO full mediated the relationships between interdependent self and PSU, whereas only partial mediation was found between interdependent self and PSMU. Therefore, taking these personality characteristics into account may help reduce dysfunctional behaviour associated with problematic technology use and promote psychological well-being among students. However, it is recommended that further studies replicate the proposed model by including other psychological constructs

Fear of missing out and problematic social media use: a serial mediation model of social comparison and self-esteem

Background and aim: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is consistently associated with problematic social media use (PSMU). Moreover, previous studies have shown a significant association between FoMO, self-esteem, and social comparison. However, there is a lack of studies that have investigated the relationship between, FoMO, social comparison, self-esteem, and PSMU in an integrated model. The present study hypothesized that FoMO may influence PSMU through the serial mediating role of social comparison and self-esteem. Method: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted comprising 256 Italian university students (74.4% female), aged 18 to 38 years (M = 23.05 years; SD = 3.58). The participants completed an online survey assessing the variables of the study. Results: Controlling for age and gender, the results showed positive associations between FoMO, social comparison, and PSMU, and a negative association between FoMO and self-esteem. Self-esteem was also negatively associated with PSMU. It was also found that social comparison and self-esteem sequentially mediated the association between FoMO and PSMU. Conclusions: The present study contributes to understanding the mechanisms that underline the complex effects of FoMO on PSMU

Further exploration of the psychometric properties of the revised version of the Italian smartphone addiction scale – short version (SAS-SV)

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is an emerging public and social issue, potentially connected to the significant increase in smartphone applications. Different scales have been designed and developed to identify the risk of smartphone addiction, and the 10-item Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) is one of the most used instruments to assess the risk of PSU. The main objective of the present study was to provide further psychometric properties of the Italian version of the SAS-SV. The study was conducted with a convenience sample of 858 Italian university students. Parallel and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to confirm if the one-factor structure fitted the data well. In addition, because previous studies have emphasised gender and age differences in the SAS-SV, measurement invariance was also tested. Network analysis, predictive validity, and convergent validity were also explored. The parallel analysis results suggested removing Item 3 (feeling pain) because its factor loading was low, resulting in a nine-item SAS-SV. The measurement invariance showed that the SAS-SV performed similarly for gender and age. However, partial scalar invariance across gender and age was observed. Furthermore, gender differences indicated that more females than males scored higher on SAS-SV. No significant age differences were found. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve results indicated a cutoff of 29 points as the best for the SAS-SV (AUC = 0.85). Moreover, among males, the cutoff was 25 (AUC = 0.84), and among females, the cutoff was 30 (AUC = 0.84). The SAS-SV showed a strong association with problematic social media use (PSMU) and other variables related to smartphone use (e.g., time spent on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp). Overall, the present study results indicate that the nine-item SAS-SV appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess PSU risk among Italian university students

Electron scale structures and magnetic reconnection signatures in the turbulent magnetosheath

Collisionless space plasma turbulence can generate reconnecting thin current sheets as suggested by recent results of numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The MMS mission provides the first serious opportunity to check if small ion-electron-scale reconnection, generated by turbulence, resembles the reconnection events frequently observed in the magnetotail or at the magnetopause. Here we investigate field and particle observations obtained by the MMS fleet in the turbulent terrestrial magnetosheath behind quasi-parallel bow shock geometry. We observe multiple small-scale current sheets during the event and present a detailed look of one of the detected structures. The emergence of thin current sheets can lead to electron scale structures where ions are demagnetized. Within the selected structure we see signatures of ion demagnetization, electron jets, electron heating and agyrotropy suggesting that MMS spacecraft observe reconnection at these scales

Kinetic Turbulence

The weak collisionality typical of turbulence in many diffuse astrophysical plasmas invalidates an MHD description of the turbulent dynamics, motivating the development of a more comprehensive theory of kinetic turbulence. In particular, a kinetic approach is essential for the investigation of the physical mechanisms responsible for the dissipation of astrophysical turbulence and the resulting heating of the plasma. This chapter reviews the limitations of MHD turbulence theory and explains how kinetic considerations may be incorporated to obtain a kinetic theory for astrophysical plasma turbulence. Key questions about the nature of kinetic turbulence that drive current research efforts are identified. A comprehensive model of the kinetic turbulent cascade is presented, with a detailed discussion of each component of the model and a review of supporting and conflicting theoretical, numerical, and observational evidence.Comment: 31 pages, 3 figures, 99 references, Chapter 6 in A. Lazarian et al. (eds.), Magnetic Fields in Diffuse Media, Astrophysics and Space Science Library 407, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg (2015