Decisional procrastination and problematic mobile phone use: the mediation of anxiety and the moderation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience

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This essay studied the mediation of anxiety between DP and PMPU and whether 2019-nCoV traumatic experience moderated the mediation process. Methods A questionnaire was used in this study. A valid sample of 798 college students reported levels of decisional procrastination, problematic mobile phone use, anxiety, and 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. Results The results indicated that decisional procrastination is positively associated with problematic mobile phone use among college students. Anxiety served as a partial mediator in the association between decisional procrastination and problematic mobile phone use. 2019-nCoV traumatic experience would positively moderated the mediating effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. A higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience would strengthen the mediation effects of DP to PMPU through anxiety. Conclusions This study deepens our understanding of how DP affects college students' PMPU. It was found in the study that 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. These findings provide universities with a theoretical foundation for preventing PMPU among college students. Decisional procrastination Problematic mobile phone use Anxiety 2019-nCoV traumatic experience Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Mobile phones are an indelible part of our social lives and have become a necessity [ 1 ]. The total count of mobile phone users in China amounted to 1.710 billion, representing a net growth of 26.53 million individuals compared to the data recorded in December 2022; additionally, 99.8% of Chinese Internet users rely on mobile phones to accessing the Internet [ 2 ]. However, PMPU has become problem [ 3 ]; PMPU is defined as a harmful and excessive use of smartphones [ 4 ]. Mobile phones have become ubiquitous in individuals’ daily routines, serving as an essential tool for educational and professional endeavors [ 1 ]. College students utilize mobile phones in their academic pursuits for communication, assignment submission, and information search [ 5 ]. Past research has indicated a growing prevalence of PMPU among the youth population in China [ 6 ], particularly among college students [ 7 ]. PMPU has been empirically demonstrated to be associated with procrastination, future anxiety, depression, excessive rumination, loneliness, and self-efficacy [ 1 , 8 , 9 ]; among college students, PMPU negatively affects academic performance and mental health [ 10 , 11 ]. Thus, it is of great practical importance to investigate the potential influencing factors of PMPU among college students. DP is a major factor to PMPU [ 9 ], and it may have an impact on PMPU through anxiety [ 7 , 12 ]. At the same time, the 2019-nCoV pandemic can lead to higher levels of anxiety, as well as exacerbate PMPU [ 13 ]. Therefore, the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience may moderate the relationship between anxiety and PMPU among college students. Fewer studies have explored the mediation of anxiety in the relationship between DP and PMPU, and the moderation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience in this mediation. Therefore, the current study was to address the aforementioned gaps by investigating the role of anxiety as a mediator and the moderating effect of the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. Decisional procrastination and problematic mobile phone use Previous research has indicated that procrastination significantly contributes to mobile addiction among student populations [ 14 ]. Currently, the issue of procrastination has been prevalent among adolescents, primarily attributed to their increased propensity to allocate excessive time towards engaging with social media platforms. This behavior can potentially contribute to the development of mobile addiction [ 15 ]. Procrastination refers to the inclination to defer the initiation or prolong the completion of a significant task that was initially expected to be undertaken, resulting in adverse consequences for the individual [ 16 ]. Researchers have categorized procrastination into DP, behavioral procrastination, arousal procrastination, and avoidant procrastination [ 17 , 18 ]. DP has attracted increasing attention among scholars [ 19 , 20 ] and is defined as the tendency to delay making decisions within a specified time frame [ 21 ]. Milgram and Tenne [ 17 ] distinguished DP from other types and suggested that decision-making logically and psychologically mean acting once a decision has been made, which may cause individuals to be more thoughtful and cautious toward decision-making. In addition, the decision-making strategies of individuals with high DP are fundamentally distinct from those of others; that is, they tend to continue seeking additional information, resulting in protracted decision-making, despite being already ready to decide [ 22 ]. A recent empirical study revealed that students with a tendency for DP suffered from PMPU [ 9 ]. Thus essay explored the influences of DP on PMPU, expecting to master more empirical evidence. Therefore, Hypothesis 1 referred to DP has significantly positive prediction to PMPU among college students. Mediating role of anxiety Researchers have applied the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, which was proposed by Brand et al. [ 23 ] to the study of trait procrastination and PMPU [ 3 , 24 ]. This model posits that certain individual characteristics influence the perception of a given situation and subsequently trigger appropriate emotional and cognitive responses, influencing executive function and the decision-making process. I-PACE is used to provide insight into the origins of barriers to Internet use and their persistence [ 25 ] and behavioral addictions such as PMPU [ 3 ]. There is a positive association between DP and anxiety [ 19 ], and students with a tendency to procrastinate usually experience a greater degree of anxiety [ 12 ]. Moreover, DP substantially and positively influences future anxiety and test anxiety [ 9 , 26 ]. As a negative personal emotion, anxiety is crucial in predicting college students' PMPU [ 7 , 27 ]. This study identified DP as a distinct personality trait. College students who exhibit DP may experience anxiety in their daily lives and are likely to develop a PMPU by attempting to alleviate this anxiety. Therefore, Hypothesis 2 was put forwards that anxiety mediated the association between DP and PMPU. Moderating role of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience The 2019-nCoV pandemic has had negative impacts on mental health and addictive behaviors [ 28 – 30 ]. In particular, 2019-nCoV isolation causes people to remain at home for extended periods, which can increase personal anxiety [ 28 ]. According to Ravens-Sieberer et al. [ 30 ], two-thirds of young people had more mental health issues during the 2019-nCoV pandemic than before the pandemic, manifested primarily by a decrease in quality of life and an increase in anxiety. Moreover, anxiety increases proportionally in relation to an individual’s degree of concern about 2019-nCoV [ 13 ]. Zvolensky et al. [ 31 ] demonstrated the effects of the 2019-nCoV pandemic on addictive behaviors. For instance, the incidence of PMPU has increased since the 2019-nCoV pandemic [ 32 ]. In addition, research indicates that negative life events similar to adversity in childhood moderate the indirect effects of psychological acceptance of PMPU [ 33 ]. For many adolescents, the 2019-nCoV pandemic is a negative life event because their daily lives are altered by school closures and social distancing [ 34 ]. In the past empirical researches, moderation and mediation would usually be inspected separately while be combined when explaining results; there were obvious weaknesses in this analyzing method. According to the suggestions by Edwards and Lambert [ 35 ] which combined moderation and mediation effects, moderation and mediation models should be combined and be analyzed the results respectively from individual route. The studies of Kong et al. [ 36 ] pointed out that anxiety influenced PMPU differing from conditions. So, the study inferred that the indirect impacts of DP on PMPU depended on 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. When college students faced with more 2019-nCoV traumatic experience, the relationship between DP and PMPU through anxiety was stronger, comparing with those with less. Therefore, this research raised Hypothesis 3: 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effect of anxiety between DP and PMPU; the more the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was, the stronger mediation effect was. In conclusion, the research aimed at discussing the potential mechanism and boundary conditions between DP and PMPU among Chinese college students, namely the mediation of anxiety and the moderation effects of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. The hypothesized conceptual model is depicted in Fig. 1 . Research methods Participants In total, 840 college students from two universities in China's Yunnan and Hainan provinces participated in the present study. Each participant signed an informed consent form. A total of 42 samples were disqualified for responding too quickly. The study examined valid responses from 798 students, with 255 men (32.95%) and 543 women (68.05%). Although sample characteristics differ from college to college, the college students’ samples were almost the same with national college students group, with more female and less male [ 37 ]. The Hainan Technology and Business College Research Ethics Committee approved this study (HGS-2022-02). Before filling out the questionnaire, every participant indicated willingness to partake in the study. The entire procedure was conducted anonymously, and participants could quit at any time. Research tools DP scale A five-item DP scale devised by Mann et al. [ 21 ] was used in the study. The participants' responses were assessed using a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). The overall average was calculated for each question. A higher score implied a greater DP. The Cronbach's Alpha for the scale was 0.896 in this study, indicating high reliability. Self-rating anxiety scale The 20-item version of the Zung's [ 38 ] scale was used to quantify anxiety levels. The participants' responses were assessed using a four-point Likert scale (1 = none or a little of the time, 4 = most or all of the time). A higher score implied a higher degree of anxiety. The Cronbach's Alpha for the scale in the present study was 0.873, indicating high reliability. The coronavirus traumatic experience scale The 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was measured by the coronavirus traumatic experience scale [ 39 ]. It comprises eight items over two dimensions, namely catastrophic cognition (CC) and trauma symptoms (TS). A higher score implied a greater level of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. The participants' responses were assessed using a six-point Likert scale (1 = completely incorrect, 6 = completely accurate). The Cronbach's Alpha was 0.845 for CC, 0.822 for TS, and 0.885 for the full scale, indicating high reliability in the present study. PMPU scale Leung's [ 40 ] scale was used to measure college students' PMPU. The scale consists of 17 items across four dimensions, namely inability to control craving (ICC), feeling anxious and lost (FAL), withdrawal/escape (WE), and productivity loss (PL), with a higher score indicating more severe problem of PMPU. The participants' responses were assessed using a five-point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 5 = always). The Cronbach's Alpha of each dimension was as follows: 0.844 for ICC, 0.839 for FAL, 0.780 for WE, 0.74 for PL, and 0.904 for the entire scale in this study, indicating high reliability. Statistical analysis First, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS. Second, PROCESS (model 4) was employed to test whether anxiety mediated the relationship between DP and PMPU. PROCESS (model 14) was used to test whether 2019-nCoV traumatic experience moderated the effect of anxiety on PMPU. Common method bias test The common method variance (CMV) was evaluated through Harman's one-factor test. Non-rotated factors analysis gave a Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin score of 0.92 (> 0.8), and Bartlett’s test of sphericity implied a statistically significant result (p < 0.001). The explanatory power of the first factor was 23.97%, which was below the 50% threshold [ 41 ]. Consequently, CMV in the present study was not high. Results Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis Table 1 displays each variable's mean, standard deviations, and correlation. DP was positively correlated with anxiety, 2019-nCoV traumatic experience, and PMPU. In addition, anxiety was positively correlated with both 2019-nCoV traumatic experience and PMPU. Lastly, 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was positively correlated with PMPU. The correlation coefficients between any two variables ranged from 0.177 to 0.561, indicating no collinearity problem. Table 1 Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis Variables M SD 1 2 3 4 Decisional procrastination 2.856 0.804 1 Anxiety 1.945 0.418 0.322 *** 1 2019-nCoV traumatic experience 2.694 0.813 0.177 *** 0.338 *** 1 P roblematic mobile phone use 2.792 0.689 0.561 *** 0.337 *** 0.231 *** 1 *** p < 0.001 Results of mediation analysis PROCESS (model 4) was employed to examine the mediation effect. As demonstrated in Table 2 , in model 1, DP showed a significant and positive association with PMPU (B = 0.481, p < 0.001); in model 2, DP exhibited a significant and positive association with anxiety (B = 0.167, p < 0.001); in model 3, anxiety was found to have a significant and positive influence on PMPU (B = 0.288, p < 0.001). Bootstrapping for the mediating test (sample size of 5000) demonstrated that DP significantly influenced PMPU through anxiety (95% CI=[.030, .071], effect size = 0.048). Anxiety, therefore, partially mediated the relationship between DP and PMPU. Table 2 Test for the mediating role of anxiety Variables Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Problematic mobile phone use Anxiety Problematic mobile phone use B t B t B t Decisional procrastination 0.481 19.144 *** 0.167 9.593 *** 0.433 16.635 *** Anxiety 0.288 5.749 *** R 2 0.315 0.104 0.343 F 366.479 *** 92.023 *** 207.144 *** *** p < 0.001. Β = unstandardized coefficients Results of the moderated mediation model Model 14 in PROCESS was adopted in this study to test mediation effects with moderation, which was developed by Preacher and Hayes [ 42 ], aiming at indicating probably indirect effects with moderation and their significance in 95% of confidence interval. When 0 was not included in the 95% of confidence interval, the indirect impacts of college students’ DP on PMPU was significant. The moderating factors of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience were evaluated in three levels: lower than the sample mean with more than one standard deviation, sample mean, higher than the sample mean more than one standard deviation referring to low, medium and high respectively. It was showed in Table 3 that the indirect impacts of college students’ DP on PMPU through anxiety depended on the degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. The moderation effects could be seen in Fig. 2 . the higher degree the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was, the indirect impacts became more significant, showing that the indirect impacts of college students’ DP on PMPU through anxiety was stronger when with higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. Therefore, Hypothesis 3 was supported. Table 3 Conditional process analysis for the moderated mediation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience Model 2019-nCoV traumatic experience Boot indirect effect Boot SE 95% CI Lower Upper M − 1SD − .813 .022 .012 − .002 .047 Mean .000 .039 .010 .020 .059 M + 1SD .813 .055 .013 .030 .082 Bootstrapping random sampling 5,000 times. CI = confidence interval. In this model, DP was antecedent,; anxiety was the mediation; PMPU was the outcome. Discussion This study investigated the relationship between DP and PMPU among college students and the mediation of anxiety and moderation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience in this relationship. These findings provide colleges and universities with recommendations for preventing PMPU among college students. Firstly, the results indicate that DP is positively associated with PMPU among college students. Our findings are consistent with those in the literature [ 9 ] in that we not only demonstrated that DP as a personality trait was a significant predictor of PMPU, but also applied these findings to the Chinese university student population. DP is a maladaptive mode of postponing decisions when confronted with conflicts and options [ 21 ]. People who are accustomed to procrastination are more inclined to pursue the pleasures of the moment and tend to lose sight of long-term intentions and pursuits [ 43 ]. Individuals with a high level of DP are easily distracted [ 44 ], and instant gratification-based distractions appeal to them more [ 45 ]. College students can easily exhibit excessive mobile phone usage due to the addictive nature of available entertainment and social mobile phone functions [ 3 ]. Moreover, it has been observed that persons exhibiting elevated levels of procrastination are more prone to engaging in problematic Internet usage, reinforcing their inclination toward developing mobile addiction [ 9 ]. Therefore, DP may contribute to PMPU among college students. Secondly, our results indicate that anxiety partially mediated the relationship between DP and PMPU, suggesting that DP may indirectly influence PMPU among college students through anxiety. Consistently with other researches, our findings indicate that DP is associated with anxiety [ 19 ], and that students who procrastinated experience greater anxiety [ 12 ]. Moreover, the research indicates that PMPU is associated with anxiety [ 46 ]. PMPU is likely to develop when individuals experienced high anxiety levels [ 47 ]. When an individual has a psychological problem, they may use social media to affirm their value [ 28 ], exacerbating the problem of PMPU. In addition, our findings indicate that DP as a personal trait may cause negative emotions, such as anxiety, and PMPU, supporting the application of the I-PACE theoretical model in trait procrastination and PMPU research. Thirdly, the researches results showed 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. In details, higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience strengthened the mediation effects of DP on PMPU through anxiety. Many reasons for this may exist. On one hand, a study indicated that the anxiety level of individuals during the 2019-nCoV pandemic was significantly higher than that before the pandemic [ 48 ]. As an adverse life event, the 2019-nCoV pandemic has exerted a slight negative effect on the mental health of college students [ 49 ]. On the other hand, quarantine policies during the 2019-nCoV pandemic may have caused individuals to overuse their smartphones, thereby increasing the likelihood of PMPU [ 50 ]. Several studies have demonstrated that the incidence of PMPU during the 2019-nCoV pandemic is significantly higher than before the outbreak [ 31 ]. Therefore, 2019-nCoV traumatic experience may amplify the effect of anxiety on college students' PMPU. This study results provided empirical evidence that 2019-nCoV traumatic experience strengthened the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. The results of this study have significant practical contributions. Firstly, college instructors should encourage students to act immediately upon deciding to reduce DP. Secondly, colleges and universities should strengthen anxiety interventions for college students, such as mental health courses, group counseling activities, and individual counseling, to help them to alleviate anxiety. Thirdly, college instructors should assist students in developing a proper understanding of disaster cognition and preparing for 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. There are some limitations in this study, which should be addressed by future researches. First, although the variables chosen for inclusion in the study were based on theory, the design was cross-sectional, making it challenging to draw more robust causal conclusions. Longitudinal studies should be conducted in future research. Second, data collection was reliant on self-reporting, which may have caused reporting bias. Therefore, interview research should be incorporated into future studies. Third, because the study subjects were from only two Chinese cities, extrapolation to other regions requires caution. Therefore, future studies should use expanded samples across different regions. Conclusion This study deepens our understanding of how DP affects college students' PMPU. DP contributes to the development of anxiety, which impacts college students' PMPU. It was also found in the study that 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. To make it in details, higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience strengthened the mediation effects of DP on PMPU through anxiety. These findings provide universities with a theoretical foundation for preventing PMPU among college students. Abbreviations PMPU Problematic mobile phone use DP Decisional procrastination Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hainan Technology and Business College (HGS-2022-02). Prior to the commencement of the study, the researcher explained to all participants that all information gathered during the program would be kept private and confidential, as would their authority to withdraw from the program at any point in time they would like to do so. Furthermore, The informed consent was obtained from all participants. All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before participating in the study. All methods have been carried out in accordance with research guidelines and regulations related to human research ethics. Consent for publication All participants were informed of the purpose of the study after which they provided their informed consent. Availability of data and materials The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding This research received no external funding. Authors’ contributions LC, JL, and JH designed the study. LC and JL performed data collection. SG, LC and JH conducted the statistical analysis. All authors contributed to the study and approved the submitted version. Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to all students participating in this study. References Kara M, Baytemir K, Inceman-Kara F. 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Linking psychological attributes to addiction and improper use of the mobile phone among adolescents in Hong Kong. J Child Media. 2008;2:93-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482790802078565 Podsakoff PM, MacKenzie SB, Lee JY, Podsakoff NP. Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003;88:879. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 Preacher KJ, Hayes AF. Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior research methods. 2008;40:879-891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879 Sirois F, Pychyl T. Procrastination and the priority of short‐term mood regulation: consequences for future self. Soc Person Psychol Compass. 2013;7:115-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12011 Harriott JS, Ferrari JR, Dovidio JF. Distractibility, daydreaming, and self-critical cognitions as determinants of indecision. J Soc Behav Person. 1996;11:337-44. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232590680 Wang P, Liu S, Zhao M, Yang X, Zhang G, Chu X, et al. How is problematic smartphone use related to adolescent depression? A moderated mediation analysis. Child Youth Serv Rev. 2019;104:104384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104384 Elhai JD, Levine JC, Hall BJ. The relationship between anxiety symptom severity and problematic smartphone use: a review of the literature and conceptual frameworks. J Anx Disord. 2019;62:45-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.11.005 Kim E, Koh E. Avoidant attachment and smartphone addiction in college students: the mediating effects of anxiety and self-esteem. Comput Hum Behav. 2018;84:264-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.02.037 Vindegaard N, Benros ME. COVID-19 pandemic and mental health consequences: systematic review of the current evidence. Brain Behav Immun. 2020;89:531-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.048 Zis P, Artemiadis A, Bargiotas P, Nteveros A, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Medical studies during the COVID-19 pandemic: the impact of digital learning on medical students’ burnout and mental health. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18:349. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010349 Zhao J, Ye B, Yu L. Peer phubbing and Chinese college students’ smartphone addiction during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of boredom proneness and the moderating role of refusal self-efficacy. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021;14:1725-36. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S335407 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4186676","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":287707015,"identity":"38fa4448-ba72-4234-a3ad-18458c87ac62","order_by":0,"name":"Lili Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hainan Technology and Business College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lili","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":287707018,"identity":"b0cd9d5d-367f-4c55-bbbb-327d7dcc7a03","order_by":1,"name":"Sun-Yu Gao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chinese International College, Dhurakij Pundit University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sun-Yu","middleName":"","lastName":"Gao","suffix":""},{"id":287707019,"identity":"062f6957-b511-44db-92fe-9ff322ce52d9","order_by":2,"name":"Jun Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jun","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":287707020,"identity":"58e3313f-861c-4133-b5fa-3e15318ee307","order_by":3,"name":"Ling-Ge Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chinese International College, Dhurakij Pundit University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ling-Ge","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":287707021,"identity":"bb63584a-cb4f-4bee-b921-a64278cfb0b6","order_by":4,"name":"Jian-Hao Huang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFAC5sYDIEqCGUh8AGI2doJaGBvgWhhngLQwE60FZCEP2FoCGszbGxsO/NxhJyfZzp342ObXNnk+ZgbGDx9zcGuROXOw4WDvmWRjaWbezca5fbcN25gZmCVnbsOtRUIiseEAb9uBxHnMvNukc3tuMwK1sAHZ+LUc/Nt2oB6sxbLntj1RWg4DbUmQBmlh+HE7kbAWnoMNh2Xbkg1nNvNuNuxtuJ3cxszYjN8v7M0HH75ts5OXOH9244Mff27bzm9vPvjhIx4tqICxDUw2EKseBP6QongUjIJRMApGCgAAM7xPp/GbcnsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Chengchi University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jian-Hao","middleName":"","lastName":"Huang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-03-29 08:33:54","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4186676/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4186676/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03193-y","type":"published","date":"2025-08-04T15:57:20+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":54449489,"identity":"a40f6ab0-3305-44e9-b78e-01bdedd9a8d2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-10 17:37:54","extension":"jpeg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":153533,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eModerated mediation model\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4186676/v1/b74f8b44a235a1c223bb7aa9.jpeg"},{"id":54449488,"identity":"0bc6f66f-2547-457c-b95e-53f6120d0a87","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-10 17:37:54","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":36791,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eModerating effect of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4186676/v1/1fe98e2ed09d14f3a32d56b5.png"},{"id":88814136,"identity":"04c3b395-3c1b-441e-a714-8d3db2ece51a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-11 16:07:26","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":944011,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4186676/v1/1b7d4301-59fe-49de-996f-9d1f0a128416.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Decisional procrastination and problematic mobile phone use: the mediation of anxiety and the moderation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eMobile phones are an indelible part of our social lives and have become a necessity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. The total count of mobile phone users in China amounted to 1.710\u0026nbsp;billion, representing a net growth of 26.53\u0026nbsp;million individuals compared to the data recorded in December 2022; additionally, 99.8% of Chinese Internet users rely on mobile phones to accessing the Internet [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. However, PMPU has become problem [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]; PMPU is defined as a harmful and excessive use of smartphones [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. Mobile phones have become ubiquitous in individuals\u0026rsquo; daily routines, serving as an essential tool for educational and professional endeavors [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. College students utilize mobile phones in their academic pursuits for communication, assignment submission, and information search [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Past research has indicated a growing prevalence of PMPU among the youth population in China [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e], particularly among college students [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. PMPU has been empirically demonstrated to be associated with procrastination, future anxiety, depression, excessive rumination, loneliness, and self-efficacy [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]; among college students, PMPU negatively affects academic performance and mental health [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. Thus, it is of great practical importance to investigate the potential influencing factors of PMPU among college students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDP is a major factor to PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e], and it may have an impact on PMPU through anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. At the same time, the 2019-nCoV pandemic can lead to higher levels of anxiety, as well as exacerbate PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience may moderate the relationship between anxiety and PMPU among college students. Fewer studies have explored the mediation of anxiety in the relationship between DP and PMPU, and the moderation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience in this mediation. Therefore, the current study was to address the aforementioned gaps by investigating the role of anxiety as a mediator and the moderating effect of the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec2\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDecisional procrastination and problematic mobile phone use\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious research has indicated that procrastination significantly contributes to mobile addiction among student populations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. Currently, the issue of procrastination has been prevalent among adolescents, primarily attributed to their increased propensity to allocate excessive time towards engaging with social media platforms. This behavior can potentially contribute to the development of mobile addiction [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. Procrastination refers to the inclination to defer the initiation or prolong the completion of a significant task that was initially expected to be undertaken, resulting in adverse consequences for the individual [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]. Researchers have categorized procrastination into DP, behavioral procrastination, arousal procrastination, and avoidant procrastination [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. DP has attracted increasing attention among scholars [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e] and is defined as the tendency to delay making decisions within a specified time frame [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. Milgram and Tenne [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e] distinguished DP from other types and suggested that decision-making logically and psychologically mean acting once a decision has been made, which may cause individuals to be more thoughtful and cautious toward decision-making. In addition, the decision-making strategies of individuals with high DP are fundamentally distinct from those of others; that is, they tend to continue seeking additional information, resulting in protracted decision-making, despite being already ready to decide [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]. A recent empirical study revealed that students with a tendency for DP suffered from PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. Thus essay explored the influences of DP on PMPU, expecting to master more empirical evidence. Therefore, Hypothesis 1 referred to DP has significantly positive prediction to PMPU among college students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMediating role of anxiety\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResearchers have applied the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, which was proposed by Brand et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e] to the study of trait procrastination and PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. This model posits that certain individual characteristics influence the perception of a given situation and subsequently trigger appropriate emotional and cognitive responses, influencing executive function and the decision-making process. I-PACE is used to provide insight into the origins of barriers to Internet use and their persistence [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e] and behavioral addictions such as PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. There is a positive association between DP and anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e], and students with a tendency to procrastinate usually experience a greater degree of anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Moreover, DP substantially and positively influences future anxiety and test anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. As a negative personal emotion, anxiety is crucial in predicting college students' PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. This study identified DP as a distinct personality trait. College students who exhibit DP may experience anxiety in their daily lives and are likely to develop a PMPU by attempting to alleviate this anxiety. Therefore, Hypothesis 2 was put forwards that anxiety mediated the association between DP and PMPU.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerating role of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe 2019-nCoV pandemic has had negative impacts on mental health and addictive behaviors [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR29\" citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]. In particular, 2019-nCoV isolation causes people to remain at home for extended periods, which can increase personal anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]. According to Ravens-Sieberer et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e], two-thirds of young people had more mental health issues during the 2019-nCoV pandemic than before the pandemic, manifested primarily by a decrease in quality of life and an increase in anxiety. Moreover, anxiety increases proportionally in relation to an individual\u0026rsquo;s degree of concern about 2019-nCoV [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. Zvolensky et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e] demonstrated the effects of the 2019-nCoV pandemic on addictive behaviors. For instance, the incidence of PMPU has increased since the 2019-nCoV pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. In addition, research indicates that negative life events similar to adversity in childhood moderate the indirect effects of psychological acceptance of PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. For many adolescents, the 2019-nCoV pandemic is a negative life event because their daily lives are altered by school closures and social distancing [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the past empirical researches, moderation and mediation would usually be inspected separately while be combined when explaining results; there were obvious weaknesses in this analyzing method. According to the suggestions by Edwards and Lambert [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e] which combined moderation and mediation effects, moderation and mediation models should be combined and be analyzed the results respectively from individual route. The studies of Kong et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e] pointed out that anxiety influenced PMPU differing from conditions. So, the study inferred that the indirect impacts of DP on PMPU depended on 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. When college students faced with more 2019-nCoV traumatic experience, the relationship between DP and PMPU through anxiety was stronger, comparing with those with less. Therefore, this research raised Hypothesis 3: 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effect of anxiety between DP and PMPU; the more the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was, the stronger mediation effect was.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, the research aimed at discussing the potential mechanism and boundary conditions between DP and PMPU among Chinese college students, namely the mediation of anxiety and the moderation effects of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. The hypothesized conceptual model is depicted in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Research methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eParticipants\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn total, 840 college students from two universities in China's Yunnan and Hainan provinces participated in the present study. Each participant signed an informed consent form. A total of 42 samples were disqualified for responding too quickly. The study examined valid responses from 798 students, with 255 men (32.95%) and 543 women (68.05%). Although sample characteristics differ from college to college, the college students\u0026rsquo; samples were almost the same with national college students group, with more female and less male [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]. The Hainan Technology and Business College Research Ethics Committee approved this study (HGS-2022-02). Before filling out the questionnaire, every participant indicated willingness to partake in the study. The entire procedure was conducted anonymously, and participants could quit at any time.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResearch tools\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDP scale\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA five-item DP scale devised by Mann et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e] was used in the study. The participants' responses were assessed using a five-point Likert scale (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly disagree, 5\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly agree). The overall average was calculated for each question. A higher score implied a greater DP. The Cronbach's Alpha for the scale was 0.896 in this study, indicating high reliability.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSelf-rating anxiety scale\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe 20-item version of the Zung's [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e] scale was used to quantify anxiety levels. The participants' responses were assessed using a four-point Likert scale (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;none or a little of the time, 4\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;most or all of the time). A higher score implied a higher degree of anxiety. The Cronbach's Alpha for the scale in the present study was 0.873, indicating high reliability.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe coronavirus traumatic experience scale\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was measured by the coronavirus traumatic experience scale [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]. It comprises eight items over two dimensions, namely catastrophic cognition (CC) and trauma symptoms (TS). A higher score implied a greater level of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. The participants' responses were assessed using a six-point Likert scale (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;completely incorrect, 6\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;completely accurate). The Cronbach's Alpha was 0.845 for CC, 0.822 for TS, and 0.885 for the full scale, indicating high reliability in the present study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePMPU scale\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eLeung's [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e] scale was used to measure college students' PMPU. The scale consists of 17 items across four dimensions, namely inability to control craving (ICC), feeling anxious and lost (FAL), withdrawal/escape (WE), and productivity loss (PL), with a higher score indicating more severe problem of PMPU. The participants' responses were assessed using a five-point Likert scale (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;not at all, 5\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;always). The Cronbach's Alpha of each dimension was as follows: 0.844 for ICC, 0.839 for FAL, 0.780 for WE, 0.74 for PL, and 0.904 for the entire scale in this study, indicating high reliability.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS. Second, PROCESS (model 4) was employed to test whether anxiety mediated the relationship between DP and PMPU. PROCESS (model 14) was used to test whether 2019-nCoV traumatic experience moderated the effect of anxiety on PMPU.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommon method bias test\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe common method variance (CMV) was evaluated through Harman's one-factor test. Non-rotated factors analysis gave a Kaiser\u0026ndash;Meyer\u0026ndash;Olkin score of 0.92 (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.8), and Bartlett\u0026rsquo;s test of sphericity implied a statistically significant result (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). The explanatory power of the first factor was 23.97%, which was below the 50% threshold [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e]. Consequently, CMV in the present study was not high.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics and correlation analysis\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e displays each variable's mean, standard deviations, and correlation. DP was positively correlated with anxiety, 2019-nCoV traumatic experience, and PMPU. In addition, anxiety was positively correlated with both 2019-nCoV traumatic experience and PMPU. Lastly, 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was positively correlated with PMPU. The correlation coefficients between any two variables ranged from 0.177 to 0.561, indicating no collinearity problem.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1\u003c/strong\u003e Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.333333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariables\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eM\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSD\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.333333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDecisional procrastination\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003c/ol\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.856\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.804\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.333333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnxiety\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003c/ol\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.945\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.418\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.322\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.333333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2019-nCoV traumatic\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp; experience\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003c/ol\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.694\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.813\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.177\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.338\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.333333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eP\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eroblematic mobile phone use\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003c/ol\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.792\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.689\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.561\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.337\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.231\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.11111111111111%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eResults of mediation analysis\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePROCESS (model 4) was employed to examine the mediation effect. As demonstrated in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, in model 1, DP showed a significant and positive association with PMPU (B\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.481, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001); in model 2, DP exhibited a significant and positive association with anxiety (B\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.167, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001); in model 3, anxiety was found to have a significant and positive influence on PMPU (B\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.288, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). Bootstrapping for the mediating test (sample size of 5000) demonstrated that DP significantly influenced PMPU through anxiety (95% CI=[.030, .071], effect size\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.048). Anxiety, therefore, partially mediated the relationship between DP and PMPU.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTest for the mediating role of anxiety\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModel 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModel 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModel 3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProblematic mobile phone use\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnxiety\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProblematic mobile phone use\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecisional procrastination\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.481\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.144\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.167\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.593\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.433\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.635\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnxiety\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.288\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.749\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eR\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.315\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.104\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.343\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e366.479\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92.023\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e207.144\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001. Β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;unstandardized coefficients\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResults of the moderated mediation model\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eModel 14 in PROCESS was adopted in this study to test mediation effects with moderation, which was developed by Preacher and Hayes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e], aiming at indicating probably indirect effects with moderation and their significance in 95% of confidence interval. When 0 was not included in the 95% of confidence interval, the indirect impacts of college students\u0026rsquo; DP on PMPU was significant. The moderating factors of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience were evaluated in three levels: lower than the sample mean with more than one standard deviation, sample mean, higher than the sample mean more than one standard deviation referring to low, medium and high respectively. It was showed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e that the indirect impacts of college students\u0026rsquo; DP on PMPU through anxiety depended on the degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. The moderation effects could be seen in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. the higher degree the 2019-nCoV traumatic experience was, the indirect impacts became more significant, showing that the indirect impacts of college students\u0026rsquo; DP on PMPU through anxiety was stronger when with higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience. Therefore, Hypothesis 3 was supported.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConditional process analysis for the moderated mediation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModel\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2019-nCoV traumatic experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBoot indirect effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBoot SE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95% CI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLower\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUpper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eM \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1SD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.813\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.012\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.047\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.039\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.020\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.059\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eM\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;1SD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.813\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.055\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.030\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.082\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBootstrapping random sampling 5,000 times. CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;confidence interval. In this model, DP was antecedent,; anxiety was the mediation; PMPU was the outcome.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated the relationship between DP and PMPU among college students and the mediation of anxiety and moderation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience in this relationship. These findings provide colleges and universities with recommendations for preventing PMPU among college students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirstly, the results indicate that DP is positively associated with PMPU among college students. Our findings are consistent with those in the literature [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e] in that we not only demonstrated that DP as a personality trait was a significant predictor of PMPU, but also applied these findings to the Chinese university student population. DP is a maladaptive mode of postponing decisions when confronted with conflicts and options [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]. People who are accustomed to procrastination are more inclined to pursue the pleasures of the moment and tend to lose sight of long-term intentions and pursuits [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e]. Individuals with a high level of DP are easily distracted [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e], and instant gratification-based distractions appeal to them more [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e]. College students can easily exhibit excessive mobile phone usage due to the addictive nature of available entertainment and social mobile phone functions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. Moreover, it has been observed that persons exhibiting elevated levels of procrastination are more prone to engaging in problematic Internet usage, reinforcing their inclination toward developing mobile addiction [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, DP may contribute to PMPU among college students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondly, our results indicate that anxiety partially mediated the relationship between DP and PMPU, suggesting that DP may indirectly influence PMPU among college students through anxiety. Consistently with other researches, our findings indicate that DP is associated with anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e], and that students who procrastinated experience greater anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Moreover, the research indicates that PMPU is associated with anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e]. PMPU is likely to develop when individuals experienced high anxiety levels [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e]. When an individual has a psychological problem, they may use social media to affirm their value [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e], exacerbating the problem of PMPU. In addition, our findings indicate that DP as a personal trait may cause negative emotions, such as anxiety, and PMPU, supporting the application of the I-PACE theoretical model in trait procrastination and PMPU research.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThirdly, the researches results showed 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. In details, higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience strengthened the mediation effects of DP on PMPU through anxiety. Many reasons for this may exist. On one hand, a study indicated that the anxiety level of individuals during the 2019-nCoV pandemic was significantly higher than that before the pandemic [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e]. As an adverse life event, the 2019-nCoV pandemic has exerted a slight negative effect on the mental health of college students [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e]. On the other hand, quarantine policies during the 2019-nCoV pandemic may have caused individuals to overuse their smartphones, thereby increasing the likelihood of PMPU [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e]. Several studies have demonstrated that the incidence of PMPU during the 2019-nCoV pandemic is significantly higher than before the outbreak [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, 2019-nCoV traumatic experience may amplify the effect of anxiety on college students' PMPU. This study results provided empirical evidence that 2019-nCoV traumatic experience strengthened the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of this study have significant practical contributions. Firstly, college instructors should encourage students to act immediately upon deciding to reduce DP. Secondly, colleges and universities should strengthen anxiety interventions for college students, such as mental health courses, group counseling activities, and individual counseling, to help them to alleviate anxiety. Thirdly, college instructors should assist students in developing a proper understanding of disaster cognition and preparing for 2019-nCoV traumatic experience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere are some limitations in this study, which should be addressed by future researches. First, although the variables chosen for inclusion in the study were based on theory, the design was cross-sectional, making it challenging to draw more robust causal conclusions. Longitudinal studies should be conducted in future research. Second, data collection was reliant on self-reporting, which may have caused reporting bias. Therefore, interview research should be incorporated into future studies. Third, because the study subjects were from only two Chinese cities, extrapolation to other regions requires caution. Therefore, future studies should use expanded samples across different regions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study deepens our understanding of how DP affects college students' PMPU. DP contributes to the development of anxiety, which impacts college students' PMPU. It was also found in the study that 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. To make it in details, higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience strengthened the mediation effects of DP on PMPU through anxiety. These findings provide universities with a theoretical foundation for preventing PMPU among college students.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003ePMPU\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProblematic mobile phone use\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eDP\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecisional procrastination\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hainan Technology and Business College (HGS-2022-02).\u0026nbsp;Prior to the commencement of the study, the researcher explained to all participants that all information gathered during the program would be kept private and confidential, as would their authority to withdraw from the program at any point in time they would like to do so. Furthermore, The informed consent was obtained from all participants. All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before participating in the study. All methods have been carried out in accordance with research guidelines and regulations related to human research ethics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll participants were informed of the purpose of the study after which they provided their informed consent.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are\u0026nbsp;available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no external funding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors’ contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLC, JL, and JH designed the study. LC and JL performed data collection. SG, LC and JH conducted the statistical analysis. All authors contributed to the study and approved the submitted version.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors are grateful to all students participating in this study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKara M, Baytemir K, Inceman-Kara F. Duration of daily smartphone usage as an antecedent of nomophobia: exploring multiple mediation of loneliness and anxiety. Behav Inform Technol. 2021;40:85-98.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCNNIC. The 52st China statistical report on internet development. 2023. https://www.cnnic.net.cn/n4/2023/0828/c88-10829.html\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYang D, Tu CC, Dai X. The effect of the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic on college students in Wuhan. Psychol Trauma. 2020a;12:S6.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePark N, Lee H. 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COVID-19 pandemic and mental health consequences: systematic review of the current evidence. Brain Behav Immun. 2020;89:531-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.048\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZis P, Artemiadis A, Bargiotas P, Nteveros A, Hadjigeorgiou GM. Medical studies during the COVID-19 pandemic: the impact of digital learning on medical students\u0026rsquo; burnout and mental health. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18:349. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010349\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZhao J, Ye B, Yu L. Peer phubbing and Chinese college students\u0026rsquo; smartphone addiction during COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of boredom proneness and the moderating role of refusal self-efficacy. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021;14:1725-36. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S335407\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Decisional procrastination, Problematic mobile phone use, Anxiety, 2019-nCoV traumatic experience","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4186676/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4186676/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBackground\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecisional procrastination (DP) has an important effect on problematic mobile phone use (PMPU); however, the potential mechanisism and boundary conditions between DP and PMPU remianed to be further explored. This essay studied the mediation of anxiety between DP and PMPU and whether 2019-nCoV traumatic experience moderated the mediation process.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMethods\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA questionnaire was used in this study. A valid sample of 798 college students reported levels of decisional procrastination, problematic mobile phone use, anxiety, and 2019-nCoV traumatic experience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResults\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results indicated that decisional procrastination is positively associated with problematic mobile phone use among college students. Anxiety served as a partial mediator in the association between decisional procrastination and problematic mobile phone use. 2019-nCoV traumatic experience would positively moderated the mediating effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. A higher degree of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience would strengthen the mediation effects of DP to PMPU through anxiety.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusions\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study deepens our understanding of how DP affects college students' PMPU. It was found in the study that 2019-nCoV traumatic experience positively moderated the mediation effects of anxiety between DP and PMPU. These findings provide universities with a theoretical foundation for preventing PMPU among college students.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Decisional procrastination and problematic mobile phone use: the mediation of anxiety and the moderation of 2019-nCoV traumatic experience","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-04-10 17:37:49","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4186676/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-01-12T08:08:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-12-26T16:45:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"180587170332839588641944006782516036976","date":"2024-12-16T11:22:12+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-07-18T12:20:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"306999434467047977098506512180694061075","date":"2024-06-29T17:46:45+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-06-13T13:15:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2024-04-12T11:14:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-04-04T08:08:41+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-04-04T07:09:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Psychology","date":"2024-03-29T08:32:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"5827ae95-8f1c-43fd-a342-29e8fd031cdc","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 10th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-08-11T16:00:34+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4186676","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03193-y","journal":{"identity":"bmc-psychology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Psychology"},"publishedOn":"2025-08-04 15:57:20","publishedOnDateReadable":"August 4th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-04-10 17:37:49","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s40359-025-03193-y","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03193-y","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4186676","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4186676","identity":"rs-4186676","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}