Abstract

This study aimed to explore the relationships among negative affectivity, experiential avoidance, and cognitive flexibility in predicting YouTube overdependence among university students. A total of 300 students aged 19 and older participated in an online survey. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, and structural equation modeling (SEM) with Jamovi. The results revealed that negative affectivity directly increased YouTube overdependence and also influenced it indirectly through experiential avoidance. Experiential avoidance was found to significantly predict YouTube overdependence and partially mediated the effect of negative affectivity. Additionally, cognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between experiential avoidance and YouTube overdependence, demonstrating a conditional indirect effect: the indirect effect was stronger at lower levels of cognitive flexibility and nonsignificant at higher levels. These findings suggest that cognitive flexibility serves as a psychological protective factor, highlighting important theoretical and practical implications for preventing and addressing digital addiction.