Academic Procrastination and Negative Emotions Among Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating and Buffering Effects of Online-Shopping Addiction

Individualized prediction of online shopping addiction from whole-brain functional connectivity

Online shopping addiction (OSA) is defined as a behavioral addiction where an individual exhibits an unhealthy and excessive attachment to shopping on the Internet. Since the OSA shown its adverse impacts on individuals' daily life and social functions, it is important to examine the neurobiological underpinnings of OSA that could be used in clinical practice to identify individuals with OSA. The present study addressed this question by employing a connectome-based prediction model approach to predict the OSA tendency of healthy subjects from whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity. The OSA connectome - a set of connections across multiple brain networks that contributed to predict individuals' OSA tendency was identified, including the functional connectivity between the frontal-parietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON) (i.e., positive network), as well as the functional connectivity within default mode network (DMN) and that between FPN and DMN (i.e., negative network). Key nodes that contributed to the prediction model included the middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, and inferior temporal gyrus, which have been associated with impulsivity and emotional processing. Notably, this connectome has shown its specific role in predicting OSA by controlling for the influence of general Internet addiction. Moreover, the strength of the negative network mediated the relationship between OSA and impulsivity, highlighting that the negative network underlies the impulsivity characteristic of OSA. Together, these findings advanced our understanding of the neural correlates of OSA and provided a promising framework for diagnosing OSA.

Depression and academic engagement among college students: the role of sense of security and psychological impact of COVID-19

Background

The negative consequences of depression in college students have garnered global attention, especially in relation to academic achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic, which need critical assessment.

Aim

This study investigated whether a sense of security mediated the relationship between depression and academic engagement among college students during the pandemic and whether the moderating psychological impact of COVID-19 has a moderating effect on this relationship.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 466 college students from 30 provincial-level administrative regions in China via the Internet and used established scales to measure depression, academic engagement, a sense of security, and the psychological impact of COVID-19. The mediating and moderating effects were tested using the bootstrap method.

Results

Depression was found to negatively influence academic engagement, with a sense of security partially mediating this relationship. Moreover, the psychological impact of COVID-19 was shown to have a moderating effect on this mediating process.

Conclusion

This study could aid in crafting pertinent strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of depression on learning amid unexpected public health crises and foster better mental health among college students.

Internet and depression in adolescents: Evidence from China

Despite growing attention to Internet activity as a social determinant of depression in adolescents, few studies have focused on its diverse effects on depressive symptoms. Using data from the 2020 China Family Panel Study, this study employed logistic regression analysis to examine how Internet activity affects depressive symptoms in adolescents in China. The results indicated that adolescents with longer online duration using mobile phones tended to have higher levels of depression. Adolescents who engaged in online activities related to games, shopping, and entertainment had more severe depressive symptoms, but their time spent on online learning was not significantly associated with their level of depression. These findings suggest a dynamic link between Internet activity and adolescent depression and offer policy implications for addressing depressive symptoms in adolescents. Specifically, Internet and youth development policies and public health programs during the COVID-19 pandemic should be designed based on a comprehensive account of all aspects of Internet activity.

"Time is My Own Treasure": Parental Autonomy Support and Academic Procrastination Among Chinese Adolescents

Purpose

Previous studies have shown that academic procrastination not only affects middle school students’ academic performance but also causes them physical and psychological stress, as well as negative emotions. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the influencing factors of academic procrastination and its internal mechanisms. This study aims to explore the relationship between perceived parental autonomy support and academic procrastination, as well as the role of autonomous motivation and time management disposition.

Participants and Methods

Cross-sectional data from 662 middle school students were collected using the Parental Autonomy Support Scale, Academic Procrastination Inventory for Middle School Students, Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire and Adolescence Time Management Disposition Scale. SPSS and its PROCESS macro were used for data analysis.

Results

After gender and age were controlled, the results showed that perceived parental autonomy support could not only directly predict middle school students’ academic procrastination but also predict three paths of procrastination: (1) the mediating role of autonomous motivation, (2) the mediating role of time management disposition, and (3) the chain mediating role of autonomous motivation and time management disposition.

Conclusion

Autonomous motivation and time management disposition played a chain mediating role in the relationship between perceived parental autonomy support and academic procrastination in middle school students.