BECE. Newsletter 

Vol.12, No.2, 2022 1655 

 

 

 

 

The Relationship between Peer Attachment and  

Mobile Phone Addiction of Junior Secondary 

School Students: An Analysis Based on a 

Moderated Mediation Model 

By Yang, C., Lian, S. L., Chen, C. Y., Sun, X. J., & Zhou, Z. K. 
Correspondence to: Zongkui Zhou, Central China Normal University, China. E-

mail: zhouzk@mail.ccnu.edu.cn  

EER attachment refers to the intimacy between adolescents and their 

peers, in which they give each other warmth and support. Good peer at-

tachment can reduce emotional and behavioral problems. Peer attachment is 

also considered as an important factor affecting adolescents' mobile phone 

addiction. In order to clarify the relationship between peer attachment and 

mobile phone addiction and its mechanism, this study constructed a moderat-

ed mediation model to examine the mediation of negative emotions and the 

moderating effect of the ability to be alone. 

In this study, 782 junior middle school students were surveyed in 

groups by class-based cluster sampling. The measuring instruments included 

the Inventory of Peer Attachment, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Mo-

bile Phone Addiction Index, and the Ability to Be Alone Scale. 

The research results show that: (i) After controlling for gender, age, 

grade, being only child or not, and mobile phone use years, peer attachment 

has a significant negative predictive effect on mobile phone addiction. (ii) 

Negative emotions exert complete mediation on the relationship between 

peer attachment and cell phone addiction. (iii) The direct effect of peer at-

tachment on cell phone addiction and the mediating effect of negative emo-

tions are both moderated by the ability to be alone. 

The moderated mediation model constructed from the perspective of 

compensation theory is used to clarify how peer attachment affects mobile 

phone addiction of junior secondary school students (the mediating effect of 

negative emotions) and to respond to the question when peer attachment has 

a more significant impact on mobile phone addiction (the moderating effect 

of the ability to be alone). The results of the study have theoretical and prac-

tical significance for deepening the research on the causes of mobile phone 

addiction and guiding junior secondary school students to develop good peer 

attachment to ensure sound psychosocial functioning. 

 

P 

mailto:zhouzk@mail.ccnu.edu.cn


 

Vol.12, No.2, 2022 1656 

Source: Psychological Development and Education, 2022; 38(4):538-545.