A 2-wave study on the associations between dissociative experiences, maladaptive daydreaming, bodily dissociation, and problematic social media use / Silvia Casale, Simon Ghinassi, Jon D. Elhai
Bibliogr.: p. 1426-1428. - Abstr. eng. - DOI: https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.00075
In: Journal of Behavioral Addictions. - ISSN 2062-5871, eISSN 2063-5303. - 2025. 14. évf. 3. sz., p. 1419-1428. : ill.
Background and Aims: Previous studies have reported an association between dissociative experiences (e.g., absorption, depersonalization) and Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU), but the directionality of these relationships remains unclear. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on the link between bodily dissociation and PSMU, despite the widespread practice of editing and manipulating pictures of oneself, which requires users to view themselves from a third-person perspective. The present study aimed to examine the directionality of the relationship between various dissociative-related experiences and PSMU through a longitudinal study. Method: A total of 216 participants (79.20% female; Mage 5 20.46 +- 2.26, range 5 18-33), completed a survey twice, with a 4-month interval. A cross-lagged panel analysis within a Structural Equation Modeling framework was employed. Results: PSMU severity at T0 predicted Bodily dissociation (â 5 0.15, p 5 0.005) and Absorption and imaginative involvement (â 5 0.13, p 5 0.026) at T1. No other cross-lagged effects were detected. Discussion and Conclusions: Excessive involvement in social media activity, along with its emphasis on appearance, may contribute to increased dissociative experiences, including a weakened emotional connection with one's own body and reduced awareness of bodily sensations. Kulcsszavak: bodily dissociation, dissociative experiences, longitudinal, maladaptive daydreaming, problematic social media use, problematic social networking sites use