Regulatory mode and internet addiction disorder in medical college students: The mediating role of self-control

With the rapid development of network technology, the problem of Internet addiction disorder (IAD) among medical college students has become increasingly prominent. Recently, a growing number of studies have begun to focus on the influence of individual differences in self-regulation on IAD, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study intended to analyze the mediating role of self-control in the relationship between regulatory mode and IAD. A total of 470 medical college students were enrolled using convenience sampling and completed a questionnaire that included the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Regulatory Mode Questionnaire (RMQ), the Self-control Scale (SCS), and the revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating effect of self-control. Results showed that locomotion mode negatively predicted IAD, with self-control mediating 63.69 % of this effect. In contrast, assessment mode positively predicted IAD, with self-control mediating 75.37 % of this effect. These findings highlight self-control as a key mediator in the relationship between regulatory mode and IAD, suggesting that future research can explore strategies to reduce IAD by modifying regulatory modes and enhancing self-control.