Date of Award

8-18-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Philosophy (MPHIL)

Discipline

Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Prof. LIN Li Jocelyn

Second Advisor

Prof. NG Ting Kin

Abstract

In the digital era, smartphones have become integral to daily life, fulfilling various emotional needs. Mirroring human attachment, past studies have found people can develop three types of attachment to smartphone: secure (comfortable, dependable connection), anxious (intense emotional reliance with separation anxiety) and avoidant (preference for independence from one’ s phone) attachment. However, little is known about how these types of smartphone attachment relate to mental health over time. Moreover, the mechanism underlying the relationship between smartphone attachment and mental health is unknown. To fill these gaps, based on the attachment theory, this study examined the longitudinal associations between smartphone attachment and mental health (indexed by psychological distress, social anxiety, and well-being). Additionally, based on self-determination theory, we elucidated the mechanisms by testing the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration.

A two-wave longitudinal study with a six-month interval was conducted among emerging adults ages 18-25 at T1 (N = 749; 236 males, 31.51%; 513 females, 68.49%) from Mainland China (n = 476; 137 males, 28.78%; 339 females, 71.22%) and the United States (n =273; 99 males, 36.26%; 174 females, 63.74%). This developmental group is a critical demographic transitioning from adolescence to full adulthood. They are characterized by profound identity exploration and the pursuit of independence and intimate relationships, and thus particularly susceptible to the influences of smartphone use on their mental health. Cross-lagged panel models were used to test the temporal and reciprocal associations between smartphone attachment styles, basic psychological needs, and mental health outcomes.

Results revealed that avoidant smartphone attachment was associated with more favorable psychological outcomes, both concurrently and longitudinally. It predicted higher well-being and lower psychological distress six months later, through lower need frustration, and was itself stable and unaffected by prior mental health states. In contrast, secure and anxious smartphone attachments showed only concurrent associations with need experience and mental health in a maladaptive way but did not predict changes in mental health over time. The results suggest that they may operate as stable traits that coexist with but do not dynamically influence mental health outcomes across time.

Theoretically, the findings from this research deepen our understanding of the relationship between human beings and smartphones from an attachment perspective by highlighting avoidant smartphone attachment as a potentially adaptive style in certain contexts. They also underscore the role of basic psychological needs (especially need frustration) as a meaningful mechanism linking technology-related attachment to well-being. Future study could test the hypothesized model in other human-technology relationships. Practically, the results inform the development of interventions aimed at fostering healthier digital habits and promoting mental health in the digital age. Future research should explore these dynamics using longer timeframes or intensive longitudinal methods to capture short- and long-term psychological processes in everyday life.

Keywords

Smartphone Attachment, Basic Psychological Needs, Mental Health, Emerging Adults

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Xiao, J. (2025). Smartphone attachment in emerging adults: Impact on mental health through basic psychological needs (Master's thesis, Lingnan University, Hong Kong). Retrieved from https://commons.ln.edu.hk/otd/256/

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