Dispositional mindfulness as moderator between Big Five personality traits and social media addiction
Soufiane Mouatassim, Stacey Callahan, J. F. Chassagne
Personality and Individual Differences September 10, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2026.114083 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 692 |
| Population | Nonclinical French young adults aged 18-30 |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form, Big Five Inventory-Fr, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale |
| Topics | Addiction Meditation |
| Key findings | Neuroticism and extraversion were positively associated with social media addiction, and conscientiousness negatively associated, while agreeableness and openness showed no significant associations. Dispositional mindfulness moderated the neuroticism and conscientiousness links, buffering the neuroticism risk and strengthening the conscientiousness protective effect. The authors propose dispositional mindfulness as a self-regulatory mechanism and a target for prevention and treatment. |
Abstract
We analyzed the associations between dispositional mindfulness, the Big Five personality traits, and social media addiction, while investigating whether dispositional mindfulness acts as a moderator in these relationships. The research sample comprised 692 nonclinical French young adults (18–30 years old). The following measurement tools were used: the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form, the Big Five Inventory-Fr, and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Results demonstrated that neuroticism and extraversion had a significant positive association on social media addiction, while conscientiousness had a significant negative association. Agreeableness and openness had no significant associations with social media addiction. Dispositional mindfulness moderated the relationship between neuroticism and social media addiction. It also moderated the relationship between conscientiousness and social media addiction. Specifically, higher levels of dispositional mindfulness buffered the positive association between neuroticism and social media addiction and strengthened the protective effect of conscientiousness. The authors discussed the protective potential of dispositional mindfulness as a self-regulatory mechanism that can mitigate personality-related factors. These findings suggest that dispositional mindfulness is a valuable target for both the prevention and treatment of social media addiction. Integrating mindfulness-based strategies could help young adults navigate social media more intentionally, thereby reducing addictive behaviors and associated psychological distress.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| The users of Novel Psychoactive Substances: Online survey about their characteristics, attitudes and motivations International users of novel psychoactive substances recruited via bluelight.org | 2016 | Cross-sectional online survey | n = 619 |
| User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 600 |
| Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users. Regular hoasca users from a U.S. branch of União do Vegetal and matched non-user controls | 2016 | Cross-sectional study | n = 57 |
| Client and counselor attitudes toward the use of medications for treatment of opioid dependence. Counselors and clients from outpatient, methadone, and residential drug treatment programs | 2007 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,459 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2007
- Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Complementary health practice review April 1, 2008
- Mindfulness as a Treatment for Behavioural Addiction Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy 2013
- Mindfulness-based treatment of addiction: current state of the field and envisioning the next wave of research. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice April 18, 2018
and 1 more in the library