Role of Cognitive Mechanisms on Relationship Between Mindfulness and Internet Addiction Among Emerging Adults: A Mediated Moderation Model

<title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Background:</bold> Internet addiction has become a growing psychological and public health concern among emerging adults due to increased engagement with digital technologies and online environments. Previous research suggests that mindfulness may serve as a protective factor against addictive behaviors; however, the cognitive mechanisms through which mindfulness influences internet addiction remain insufficiently understood. Additionally, limited evidence exists regarding the conditions under which these relationships operate, particularly among emerging adults in developing countries. <bold>Objective:</bold> The present study examined the role of cognitive mechanisms in the relationship between mindfulness and internet addiction among emerging adults. Specifically, the study investigated whether attentional control and cognitive fusion mediated the relationship between mindfulness and internet addiction and whether emotion regulation moderated these indirect pathways. <bold>Method:</bold> A cross-sectional correlational research design was employed. The sample consisted of 800 emerging adults aged 16 to 30 years. Participants completed standardized measures assessing mindfulness, internet addiction, attentional control, cognitive fusion, and emotion regulation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, Pearson correlations, mediation analyses, and moderated mediation analyses using Hayes’ PROCESS macro with bootstrapping procedures. <bold>Results:</bold> Results indicated that mindfulness was negatively associated with internet addiction (r = -.42, p &lt; .001) and cognitive fusion (r = -.51, p &lt; .001), while it was positively associated with attentional control (r = .47, p &lt; .001) and emotion regulation (r = .39, p &lt; .001). Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of mindfulness on internet addiction through attentional control (β = -.12, 95% CI [-.18, -.07]) and cognitive fusion (β = -.19, 95% CI [-.25, -.13]). The serial mediation pathway through attentional control and cognitive fusion was not significant (β = -.02, 95% CI [-.05, .01]). Moderated mediation analyses showed that emotion regulation did not significantly moderate the indirect effects (interaction terms ps &gt; .05), indicating that the mediation pathways were consistent across different levels of emotion regulation. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The findings suggest that attentional control and cognitive fusion are important cognitive mechanisms linking mindfulness and internet addiction among emerging adults. The study contributes to contemporary theories of mindfulness and behavioral addiction by demonstrating that mindfulness may reduce problematic internet use through improvements in cognitive functioning. These findings have important implications for the development of mindfulness-based interventions targeting internet addiction among young adults. </p>