Questionable mediated effect of physical activity on smartphone addiction: A comment on Fu and Wang (2026)
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Drawing on the covariance matrix reported by Fu and Wang, I reassessed the empirical basis of their mediation model linking physical activity to decreased smartphone addiction. I demonstrate that the observed covariance structure can be reproduced by a theoretically different latent-variable model that does not rely on the directional mechanism proposed in the original article. In this alternative account, self-reported physical activity, self-control, health-promoting lifestyle, and smartphone addiction are conceptualized as indicators of a broader construct, core self-evaluation. The results illustrate a broader inferential problem in psychological research: multiple theoretically plausible models may provide equally adequate explanations of the same correlational pattern. Consequently, observational associations alone offer limited grounds for preferring one explanation over competing alternatives. Researchers should therefore routinely evaluate alternative models when drawing inferences about psychological mechanisms from nonexperimental data.
Author: Kimmo Sorjonen
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223229151