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The Role of Executive Function Deficits and Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Smartphone Addiction: A Neuropsychological Analysis in Young Adults

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Psychology, Payame Noor University ,Tehran, Iran.

2 Master of Psychology, Department of Psychology ,Payame Noor University, Tehran ,Iran.

10.30473/clpsy.2025.75012.1795

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between executive function deficits and smartphone addiction, with the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties, among youth aged 20-35 in Qom province. The research design was descriptive-correlational, employing structural equation modeling. The statistical population comprised youth aged 20-35 residing in Qom province. The sample size, determined using Morgan’s table and the convenience sampling method, was 200 individuals. Data were collected using the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-16). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and path analysis with SPSS and AMOS software. The results indicated no significant relationship between deficits in behavioral regulation skills of executive functions and smartphone addiction. However, a significant positive relationship was observed between deficits in metacognitive skills and smartphone addiction, meaning that metacognitive deficits are associated with higher levels of smartphone addiction. Furthermore, the results showed that difficulties in emotion regulation have a significant positive relationship with executive function deficits in behavioral regulation skills, metacognitive skills, and smartphone addiction. Therefore, attention to the role of executive function deficits and difficulties in emotion regulation as factors associated with smartphone addiction, especially among youth, is essential. Additionally, the findings of this study solely represent correlational relationships, and causal conclusions cannot be drawn from them.

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References
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Neuropsychology
Volume 10, Issue 39 - Serial Number 39
January 2025
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