فاطمه بنگر

Abstract

Given that smartphones have become a staple in families in the digital age, the emerging phenomenon of "parental phubbing," defined as parents ignoring their children due to preoccupation with mobile phones, has attracted researchers' attention due to its positive association with adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between adolescents' smartphone addiction and parental phubbing, considering the mediating role of the parent-child relationship and the moderating role of rejection sensitivity. The research employed a descriptive-correlational design. The sample, selected through convenience sampling, consisted of ۲۱۷ Iranian adolescents with an average age of ۱۴.۳۲ years and an age range of ۱۰ to ۱۹ years, who completed all questionnaires. Data were collected using the Smartphone Addiction Scale by Ko (۲۰۰۹), the Parental Phubbing Scale by Hong et al. (۲۰۱۹), the Parent-Child Relationship Scale by Fine et al. (۱۹۸۳), and the Rejection Sensitivity Scale by Downey and Feldman (۱۹۹۶). To test the research hypotheses, structural equation modeling with a partial least squares approach (PLS-SEM) was conducted using SmartPLS۴ and    version ۲۸ software. The structural model findings indicated that paternal phubbing had a significant direct and positive relationship with smartphone addiction (P=۰.۰۰۳), but this relationship was not significant for maternal phubbing (P=۰.۸۷۸). Additionally, the father-child relationship as a mediating variable was on the verge of significance in the path between paternal phubbing and smartphone addiction (P=۰.۱۰۱), while the mediation of the mother-child relationship was not confirmed (P=۰.۳۳۹). Analysis of interaction paths showed that rejection sensitivity, as a moderating variable, did not have a significant effect on the strength of the relationship between parental phubbing and smartphone addiction (P>۰.۰۵). These findings highlight the impact of paternal phubbing and the mediating role of the father-child relationship in smartphone addiction, suggesting that interventions to reduce parental phubbing and strengthen family relationships could help prevent smartphone addiction in adolescents.

Keywords: Smartphone addiction, parent-child relationship, rejection sensitivity, parental phubbing, adolescents