Mobile Phone Addiction, Self‐Control, Mind Wandering, and Cognitive Failure in Chinese Adolescents: A Network Analysis and a Chain Mediation Model

ABSTRACT Mobile phone addiction (MPA) has become a prevalent issue among adolescents, which is closely associated with cognitive failure. The present study seeks to explore the network structure of the association between MPA and cognitive failure among adolescents by network analysis, as well as the mediating roles of self‐control and mind wandering by chain mediation techniques. Data were collected from 1036 Chinese adolescents using self‐report measures. Results of the network analysis, based on the bridge strength, showed that “Distractibility” and “Productivity Loss” at the domain level, as well as the two nodes of cognitive failure and one node of MPA (i.e., “Do you daydream when you ought to be listening to something?”, “Do you start doing one thing and get distracted into doing something else (unintentionally)?”, and “You find yourself engaged on the mobile phone for longer period of time than intended.”) at the item level were the bridge indicators between MPA and cognitive failure. The chain mediation analysis demonstrated that the relation between MPA and cognitive failure was mediated by self‐control and mind wandering separately and sequentially. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing adolescents’ self‐control in reducing the negative impact of MPA on cognitive functioning.