Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship between Smartphone Addiction and Phubbing

The widespread adoption of smartphones raised worries about addictive behaviours, especially smartphone addiction and phubbing. Contrary to prior research, the study aimed to investigate, phubbing as predictor of smartphone addiction, and determining the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the association between phubbing and smartphone addiction. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 255 participants (42% males, 58% females), aged 18 to 30 years. Data were collected using the Generic Scale of Phubbing (GSP) to measure phubbing, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) to assess smartphone addiction, and A New Measure of Cognitive Flexibility to evaluate cognitive flexibility. The findings showed a negative correlation between phubbing and cognitive flexibility and a positive correlation between higher levels of phubbing and increased smartphone addiction. The association between phubbing and an addiction to smartphones is partially mediated by cognitive flexibility, according to mediation analysis. Furthermore, there were no gender differences in cognitive flexibility or smartphone addiction, but there were notable gender differences in phubbing action, with men scoring higher than women. This study emphasizes the mediation impact of cognitive flexibility and the crucial importance of phubbing as predictor of smartphone addiction. Enhancing cognitive flexibility through interventions could be a useful strategy for reducing smartphone addiction and fostering young people's digital well-being.