Smartphones as attachment targets: an attachment theory framework for understanding problematic smartphone use

Parent, Natasha; Bond, Takara A.; Shapka, Jennifer D.

doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02092-w

Cited by 14 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Smartphones represent a tool for maintaining relationships and the storage of social relationships and memories, which makes it an easier target for compensatory attachment than other objects ( Konok et al, 2016 ). Most studies support this view, namely, that attachment styles is significantly associated with SA ( Park et al, 2020 ; Remondi et al, 2020 ; Parent et al, 2021 ). However, previous findings regarding the magnitudes and directions of the association between attachment styles and SA are quite mixed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Correlations between smartphone addiction and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis

et al. 2022

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BackgroundSmartphone addiction (SA) has become a social problem that affects peoples’ quality of life and is frequently reported to be correlated with alexithymia, avoidant or anxious attachment styles, and subjective well-being. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SA and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being.MethodsA meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG DATA, and Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP). Stata 16.0 was used to analyze the overall effect and test the moderating effect.ResultsOne hundred and ten studies were included, involving a total of 96,680 participants. SA had a significantly high positive correlation with alexithymia (r = 0.40), attachment anxiety (r = 0.37), and negative emotions (r = 0.31), and a low positive correlation with attachment avoidance (r = 0.17). In addition, there was a high negative correlation between SA and subjective well-being (r = –0.33) and a low negative correlation between SA, life satisfaction (r = –0.17), and positive emotions (r = –0.18). A moderation analysis revealed that age significantly moderated the relationship between SA and positive emotions. The tools for measuring SA significantly moderated the relationship between SA, alexithymia, attachment anxiety, and subjective well-being. Meanwhile, subjective well-being measurement tools significantly moderated the relationships between SA, subjective well-being, and negative emotions.ConclusionSA was closely related to alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being. In the future, longitudinal research can be conducted to better investigate the dynamic changes in the relationship between them.Systematic review registration[www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [CRD42022334798].

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Correlations between smartphone addiction and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis

et al. 2022

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“…Furthermore, Bodford et al (2017) underline the role of individual tendencies to predict smartphone attachment by showing that a tendency toward anxious human attachment fosters anxious smartphone attachment. Additionally, Konok et al (2016) demonstrate that individual predispositions, such as fundamental attachment anxiety (Konok et al, 2016;Parent et al, 2021), shape attachment to smartphones. The work of Fullwood et al (2017) adds to this perspective by suggesting that smartphone attachment is determined by the affordances a smartphone offers.…”

Section: Sources Of Smartphone Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, Konok et al. (2016) demonstrate that individual predispositions, such as fundamental attachment anxiety (Konok et al., 2016; Parent et al., 2021), shape attachment to smartphones. The work of Fullwood et al.…”

Section: Conceptual Framework and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, the view on smartphone addiction provides a negativist framing and therefore a one‐sided perspective on users' relationship to their smartphones (Melumad & Pham, 2020). Moreover, evidence shows that smartphone attachment determines problematic use behavior such as addiction (Kim & Koh, 2018; Parent et al., 2021). Hence, to understand smartphone addiction, it is also important to understand people's attachment to smartphones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The sources of the many faces of consumer smartphone attachment: A value‐in‐use perspective

Sohn

Karampournioti

Wiedmann

et al. 2021

Int J Consumer Studies

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Smartphones have evolved to be among the most important objects in peoples' daily lives. However, little knowledge exists on users' relationships with smartphones. This study examines the user‐smartphone relationship from an attachment perspective. More specifically, the present research develops an understanding of the different faces of smartphone attachment considering the perceived value‐in‐use of smartphones as a source. The findings of an online survey among smartphone users reveal that users are attached to the smartphone itself because of the value it derives during usage. Most interestingly, the effects of perceived value‐in‐use have been found to be ambivalent because they can enhance both positive (e.g., passion) and negative (e.g., separation distress) aspects of smartphone attachment. Moreover, specific compositions of the value‐in‐use define the individual facets of smartphone attachment. For instance, passion has been found to be determined by social, hedonic, and utilitarian value‐in‐use, whereas distress is triggered by both perceived utilitarian and hedonic value‐in‐use. In sum, this study's findings help to understand and manage consumers' smartphone attachment.

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“…Increasing dependence on the smartphones has derived not only functional benefits but also affective outcomes such as stress relief and emotional comfort, leading the smartphone to be perceived as a “pacifying technology” by users [ 11 , 12 ]. Indeed, use of the smartphone as a an attachment target has been found to be an important predictor for problematic smartphone use [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

College students’ attachment to their smartphones: a subjective operant approach

Tai

Cheng

2022

BMC Psychol

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Background Smartphone use has become a pervasive aspect of youth daily life today. Immersive engagement with apps and features on the smartphone may lead to intimate and affectionate human-device relationships. The purpose of this research is to holistically dissect the ranked order of the various dimensions of college students’ attachment to the smartphones through the by-person factorial analytical power of Q methodology. Methods Inspired by extant research into diverse aspects of human attachment to the smartphones, a concourse of 50 statements pertinent to the functional, behavioral, emotional and psychological dimensions of human-smartphone attachment were pilot tested and developed. A P sample of 67 participants completed the Q sort based on respective subjective perceptions and self-references. Data was processed utilizing the open-source Web-based Ken-Q Analysis software in detecting the main factorial structure. Results Five distinct factor (persona) exemplars were identified illustrating different pragmatic, cognitive and attitudinal approaches to smartphone engagement. They were labeled mainstream users, disciplined conventionalists, casual fun-seekers, inquisitive nerds, and sentient pragmatists in response to their respective psycho-behavioral traits. There were clear patterns of similarity and divergence among the five personas. Conclusion The typological diversity points to the multiplicate nature of human-smartphone attachment. Clusters of cognitive, behavioral and habitual patterns in smartphone engagement driving each persona may be a productive area of exploration in future research in exploring their respective emotional and other outcomes. The concurrent agency of nomophobia and anthropomorphic attribution is an intriguing line of academic inquiry.

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Smartphones as attachment targets: an attachment theory framework for understanding problematic smartphone use

Cited by 14 publications

References 43 publications

Correlations between smartphone addiction and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis

Correlations between smartphone addiction and alexithymia, attachment style, and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis

The sources of the many faces of consumer smartphone attachment: A value‐in‐use perspective

College students’ attachment to their smartphones: a subjective operant approach

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