Phoning It in: Social Anxiety, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Anxiety Reduction Motivations Predict Phone Use in Social Situations

Based on meta-analysis, a strong link between social anxiety and phone use has been established in the literature, but underlying mechanisms of why might cause people to their phones are poorly understood. Intolerance uncertainty is transdiagnostic factor many disorders may help explain socially anxious tend mobile as tool cope with, or distract from, inherently ambiguous interactions. This nonexperimental, correlational study had four core aims: examine whether increases would relate (1) increased usage during interactions groups (2) dependency; intolerance motivation mediated either these relationships. To test models, an opportunity sample 252 participants completed series online questionnaires containing measures anxiety, uncertainty, usage. Correlational analysis results showed dependency for with high anxiety. Serial mediation that who were more also reported higher levels greater motives reduce use. We discuss specific reference compensatory internet theory. In sum, it appears situations tends be motivated by reducing