Heterogeneity of smartphone dependence among university students and its network relationship with perceived stress and fear of missing out

Junting Hu¹, Liangqing Wang¹, Zhiyu Pi¹, Huahua Zhong¹, Mark D. Griffiths², Li Li^1,*
1 School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
2 Nottingham Institute of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
* Corresponding Author: Li Li. Email: email

Journal of Psychology in Africa https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2026.081211

Received 25 February 2026; Accepted 14 July 2026; Published online 12 August 2026

Abstract

The present study examined the heterogeneity of smartphone dependence and its network relationships with perceived stress and fear of missing out. A total of 1014 university students completed the Fear of Missing Out Scale, Mobile Phone Addiction Index, and Perceived Stress Scale (females = 67.8%; juniors or above = 28.8%; mean age = 19.4 years, SD = 1.4). A latent profile analysis identified three smartphone dependence risk profiles: low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk. Moreover, a Gaussian graphical model showed that the ‘tension’ dimension of perceived stress was the most central and bridging node within the network. In the moderated network model, significant pairwise interaction edges were observed among the dimensions, although no significant moderation effect was observed. The study findings support the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model by demonstrating heterogeneous risk profiles and by identifying tension as a central and bridging node. The heterogeneity and network patterns underlying smartphone dependence suggest a need for targeted interventions that consider both individual risk profiles and the role of tension in the symptom network.