ArticleBrain sciences2025
The Role of Fear of Negative Evaluation and Loneliness in Linking Insecure Attachment to Social Media Addiction: Evidence from Chinese University Students.
Article in Brain sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Social media addiction and social anxiety among college students: the serial mediating roles of alienation, self-focused attention, and fear of negative evaluation.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The relationship between loneliness and social networking site addiction among Chinese college students: the roles of fear of missing out and the imaginary audience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
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2 authors.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesWith the widespread integration of digital media into daily life, social media addiction (SMA) has become a growing concern for university students' mental health. Based on attachment theory, this study examined how attachment anxiety and avoidance influence SMA through fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and loneliness.
methodsA sample of 400 Chinese university students completed the 16-item short version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR), the 8-item Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE), the 6-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale-Short Form (RULS-6), and the 6-item Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Using the PROCESS macro (Model 6), a chained mediation model was tested.
resultsAttachment anxiety positively predicts SMA ( DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that in the Chinese cultural context, where social evaluation and belonging are emphasized, insecure attachment may heighten emotional reliance on social media. This study elucidates the socio-emotional mechanisms underlying SMA and extends the application of attachment theory to the digital media environment.
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