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Behavioral Sciences
Volume 15
Issue 8
10.3390/bs15081121
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Differential Effects of Short- and Long-Term Negative Affect on Smartphone Usage: The Moderating Role of Locus of Control

by
Yang Chu
1,
Jiahao Li
1,
Shan Liu
1,
Yanfang Liu
2 and
Jie Xu
3,*
1
Center for Psychological Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
2
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Beijing 100080, China
3
Department of Psychology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong SAR, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(8), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081121
Submission received: 5 June 2025 / Revised: 12 August 2025 / Accepted: 14 August 2025 / Published: 18 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Deep Links: Emotional Regulation, Psychological Symptomatology, and Addictions)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

In the digital age, smartphones are often used as tools for emotion regulation. While prior research has examined affective predictors of smartphone use, few studies have considered the combined impact of short-term and long-term affective states. This study investigates how daily negative emotional states and psychological distress relate to smartphone use and whether these associations are moderated by locus of control, a core belief about perceived control. Thirty-seven participants completed a one-month daily diary study combined with objective smartphone usage tracking, which yielded 837 valid observations. Multilevel analyses showed no association between daily negative emotional state and smartphone use. However, psychological distress predicted divergent behavioral patterns based on locus of control: individuals with an internal locus of control showed reduced usage under distress, whereas those with an external locus of control exhibited increased frequency of use. These findings highlight the importance of individual control beliefs in shaping technology-mediated emotion regulation and offer implications for interventions targeting excessive smartphone use.
Keywords: smartphone use; negative affect; psychological distress; daily mood; locus of control; emotional regulation; daily diary method smartphone use; negative affect; psychological distress; daily mood; locus of control; emotional regulation; daily diary method

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MDPI and ACS Style

Chu, Y.; Li, J.; Liu, S.; Liu, Y.; Xu, J. Differential Effects of Short- and Long-Term Negative Affect on Smartphone Usage: The Moderating Role of Locus of Control. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1121. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081121

AMA Style

Chu Y, Li J, Liu S, Liu Y, Xu J. Differential Effects of Short- and Long-Term Negative Affect on Smartphone Usage: The Moderating Role of Locus of Control. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(8):1121. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081121

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chu, Yang, Jiahao Li, Shan Liu, Yanfang Liu, and Jie Xu. 2025. "Differential Effects of Short- and Long-Term Negative Affect on Smartphone Usage: The Moderating Role of Locus of Control" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 8: 1121. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081121

APA Style

Chu, Y., Li, J., Liu, S., Liu, Y., & Xu, J. (2025). Differential Effects of Short- and Long-Term Negative Affect on Smartphone Usage: The Moderating Role of Locus of Control. Behavioral Sciences, 15(8), 1121. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081121

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