Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the serial mediating effects of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and fear of missing out (FoMo) on the relationship between temperament and smartphone overdependence. We administered self-report questionnaires to 259 young adults aged 18 to 26, excluding any insincere responses. The questionnaires included the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised Short (TCI-RS), the Smartphone Addiction Scale Based on Behavioral Addiction (SAS-B), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and a modified version of the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMO). Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, and we examined sequential mediation effects with Process Macro Model 6. The statistical significance of these effects was assessed through bootstrapping procedures as recommended by Hayes (2018). The results indicated that novelty seeking (NS) and harm avoidance (HA) temperaments were positively correlated with smartphone overdependence, maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and FoMO. Additionally, we found a significant partial mediation effect where NS temperament predicted smartphone overdependence through the serial mediation of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation and FoMO. Similarly, HA temperament demonstrated a significant partial mediation effect through the same mediators. Thus, addressing cognitive distortions or modifiable beliefs may help reduce smartphone overdependence, while temperament, as a relatively stable internal trait, may contribute to it.