Abstract

This study explored the sequential mediating effects of self-differentiation and passive coping strategies on the relationship between insecure adult attachment and tendencies toward social networking site(SNS) addiction among university students. A survey was conducted with 387 students currently enrolled or on leave from four-year universities across South Korea who use SNS. Participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), the SNS Addiction Scale, the Self-Differentiation Scale, and the Stress Coping Inventory (K-CSI). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and the SPSS PROCESS Macro version. 4.2. The findings are summarized as follows. First, correlation analyses revealed significant relationships among insecure adult attachment, SNS addiction tendencies, self-differentiation, and passive coping strategies. Second, insecure adult attachment had not only directly influenced SNS addiction tendencies but also had an indirect effect through sequential mediation. Specifically lower self-differentiation led to increased passive coping strategies, which in turn heightened SNS addiction tendencies. These results underscore the importance of enhancing self-differentiation, enabling individuals to recognize their emotions and thoughts independently, and adaptive coping strategies in stressful situations to mitigate SNS addiction tendencies among university students. Therefore, the findings suggest that counseling and educational interventions focused on self-awareness and emotion regulation may effectively reduce SNS addiction tendencies in this population.