Mother phubbing and adolescent loneliness: A three-way moderation model involving attachment anxiety and need to belong

Research interest in exploring the negative impacts of mother phubbing on adolescent development is growing. However, limited research has explored the association between mother phubbing and adolescent loneliness, and even less is known about the potential moderating effects within this association. Thus, this study tested the association between mother phubbing and adolescent loneliness and examined whether mother–child attachment anxiety and need to belong simultaneously moderated this relationship. Participants were 4213 high school students (52.5 % boys; Mage = 16.41, SD=0.77) from five provinces in China. They completed questionnaires on demographic information, mother phubbing, loneliness, mother–child attachment anxiety, and need to belong. After controlling for demographic variables, the results revealed that mother phubbing was positively related to adolescent loneliness. Mother-child attachment anxiety exacerbated the relationship between mother phubbing and adolescent loneliness. Moreover, the three-way interaction effect of mother phubbing, mother–child attachment anxiety, and need to belong on adolescent loneliness was significant. Specifically, the relationship between mother phubbing and loneliness was non-significant only for adolescents low in both mother–child attachment anxiety and need to belong. The limitations and implications of these findings are discussed.