{"title":"Problematic Social Media Use: Which symptoms are necessary conditions for reduced control and negative outcomes to occur over time?","authors":"Silvia Casale, Simon Ghinassi, Sara Bocci Benucci","doi":"10.1556/2006.2026.00079","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>By adopting the cognitive-behavioral model of Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU), this study used Necessary Condition Analysis to identify which PSMU symptoms constitute necessary conditions (NCs: factors whose absence guarantees the absence of the outcome) for the emergence of the other symptoms. We focused on NCs for deficient self-regulation and negative outcomes because empirical findings converge in identifying them as central symptoms (i.e., unambiguously indicative of PSMU).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>229 adolescents (37.60% Female; Mage = 15.44 ± 0.66) completed a survey twice, with a six-month interval. PSMU was measured using the GPIUS-2 adapted for PSMU. Predictors with an effect size d ≥ 0.10 and an estimated p-value < .05 were considered. Data analysis was performed on 10.000 resamples using approximate permutation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Preference for online social interactions (POSI) at T0 did not emerge as a NC for either Mood Regulation (MR) or Deficient Self-Regulation (DSR) at T1. However, POSI, as well as DSR, emerged as NC for Negative Outcomes. MR at T0 was a NC for DSR at T1, but not for Negative Outcomes.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>POSI and lack of control must be present for negative outcomes to occur, and a minimum level of MR is required for subsequent reduction of control. Our results clarify that all the symptoms included in the original model are necessary for the development of negative outcomes; however, they also suggest that, compared with their placement in the original model, they should be repositioned to better reflect the logic of identifying indispensable precursors.</p>","PeriodicalId":15049,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavioral Addictions","volume":" ","pages":"1105-1114"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3000,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13678397/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Behavioral Addictions","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2026.00079","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2026/10/12 0:00:00","PubModel":"Print","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background and aims: By adopting the cognitive-behavioral model of Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU), this study used Necessary Condition Analysis to identify which PSMU symptoms constitute necessary conditions (NCs: factors whose absence guarantees the absence of the outcome) for the emergence of the other symptoms. We focused on NCs for deficient self-regulation and negative outcomes because empirical findings converge in identifying them as central symptoms (i.e., unambiguously indicative of PSMU).
Methods: 229 adolescents (37.60% Female; Mage = 15.44 ± 0.66) completed a survey twice, with a six-month interval. PSMU was measured using the GPIUS-2 adapted for PSMU. Predictors with an effect size d ≥ 0.10 and an estimated p-value < .05 were considered. Data analysis was performed on 10.000 resamples using approximate permutation.
Results: Preference for online social interactions (POSI) at T0 did not emerge as a NC for either Mood Regulation (MR) or Deficient Self-Regulation (DSR) at T1. However, POSI, as well as DSR, emerged as NC for Negative Outcomes. MR at T0 was a NC for DSR at T1, but not for Negative Outcomes.
Discussion: POSI and lack of control must be present for negative outcomes to occur, and a minimum level of MR is required for subsequent reduction of control. Our results clarify that all the symptoms included in the original model are necessary for the development of negative outcomes; however, they also suggest that, compared with their placement in the original model, they should be repositioned to better reflect the logic of identifying indispensable precursors.
背景与目的:本研究采用问题社交媒体使用(problem Social Media Use, PSMU)的认知行为模型,通过必要条件分析(Necessary Condition Analysis)来确定哪些PSMU症状构成了其他症状出现的必要条件(nc:其缺失保证结果缺失的因素)。我们将注意力集中在缺乏自我调节和负面结果的NCs上,因为实证研究结果一致将其确定为中心症状(即明确指示PSMU)。方法:229名青少年(女性37.60%,年龄= 15.44±0.66)共完成2次问卷调查,间隔6个月。PSMU的测量采用了适用于PSMU的GPIUS-2。考虑效应量d≥0.10和估计p值< 0.05的预测因子。采用近似排列法对10000个样本进行数据分析。结果:T0时的在线社交偏好(POSI)并没有成为T1时情绪调节(MR)或自我调节缺陷(DSR)的NC。然而,POSI和DSR成为负面结果的NC。T0时的MR是T1时DSR的NC,但不是Negative Outcomes的NC。讨论:必须存在POSI和缺乏控制才能发生负面结果,并且需要最低水平的MR才能随后减少控制。我们的研究结果表明,原始模型中包含的所有症状对于负面结果的发展都是必要的;但是,他们也建议,与它们在原始模型中的位置相比,它们应该重新定位,以更好地反映识别不可或缺的前体的逻辑。
期刊介绍:
The aim of Journal of Behavioral Addictions is to create a forum for the scientific information exchange with regard to behavioral addictions. The journal is a broad focused interdisciplinary one that publishes manuscripts on different approaches of non-substance addictions, research reports focusing on the addictive patterns of various behaviors, especially disorders of the impulsive-compulsive spectrum, and also publishes reviews in these topics. Coverage ranges from genetic and neurobiological research through psychological and clinical psychiatric approaches to epidemiological, sociological and anthropological aspects.