BackgroundWhile the constitutive features of problematic social media use (PSMU) have been formulated, there has been a lack of studies in the field examining the structure of relationships among PSMU components.MethodThis study employed network analytic methods to investigate the connectivity among PSMU components in a large sample of 1,136 college student social media users (Mage = 19.69, SD = 1.60). Components of PSMU were assessed by the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) derived from a components model of addiction. We computed two types of network models, Gaussian graphical models (GGMs) to examine network structure and influential nodes and directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to identify the probabilistic dependencies among components.ResultRelapse component consistently emerged as a central node in the GGMs and as a parent node of other components in the DAGs. Relapse and tolerance components exhibited strong mutual connections and were linked to the most vital edges within the networks. Additionally, conflict and mood modification nodes occupied more central positions within the PSMU network for the low-BSMAS-score subgroup compared with the high-BSMAS-score subgroup.ConclusionOur findings shed new light on the complex architecture of PSMU and its potential implications for tailored interventions to relieve PSMU.

Scant research has utilized person-centred approaches to investigate associations between patterns of drinking motive facets and alcohol-related outcomes and depressive symptoms. To address this gap, 1,216 first- and second-year Chinese college students (Mean age = 19.14, SD = 0.94, 37.3% male) who had consumed alcohol in the past year were surveyed by questionnaires. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct classes based on four drinking motives: enhancement, coping, conformity, and social motives. A 5-profile solution provided the best overall model fit to the data, including the 'low' (n = 712; 58.6%), 'moderate' (n = 213; 17.5%), 'high' (n = 120; 9.9%), 'high external/low internal reinforcing' (n = 108; 8.9%), and 'high positive/low negative reinforcing' motives groups (n = 63; 5.2%). Students with high drinking motives endorsed the highest levels of alcohol use outcomes and depression symptoms, while reporting the lowest level of drinking refusal self-efficacy. Students with moderate motives tended to occupy the middle position across all outcome variables. Students characterized by high external/low internal motives reported elevated depressive symptoms and drinking-related problems. Those with high positive/low negative motives exhibited high drinking intention and alcohol consumption, but low levels of drinking-related problems and depressive symptoms. These findings shed light on the heterogeneity among college student drinkers, paving the way for targeted alcohol interventions tailored to diverse drinking motive patterns.

PurposeFamily environment has the major impact on children’s academic development. The aim of this study was to research the relationship between family capital and academic achievement in geography. Further, geospatial thinking, as a form of spatial thinking focusing on the scale of the geographical environment, is closely related to family environment and academic achievement in geography. Thus, the study was more specifically to apply a mediation model to explore the potential mediating role of geospatial thinking.MethodsA total of 1,037 upper-secondary-school students in Western China were surveyed using t the Family Capital Questionnaire and the Geospatial Thinking Test Questionnaire. SPSS (version 26.0) was used for descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis. The PROCESS plug-in (version 4.0) was used to test the mediating effect of geospatial thinking.Results(1) The correlation analysis showed that family capital has a positive effect on academic achievement in geography and is related to geospatial thinking. Moreover, geospatial thinking exerts a positive effect on academic achievement in geography. (2) The results of mediation analysis indicated that geospatial thinking plays mediating and buffering roles in the relationship between family capital and academic achievement in geography after controlling for family residence and gender. The direct and indirect effects accounted for 75.32% and 24.68% of the total effect, respectively.ConclusionThe results indicated that family capital not only affected academic achievement in geography directly but also indirectly through geospatial thinking. This finding provides some ideas for the development of geography education, which suggests that geography educators need to pay more attention to the influence of the family environment on students’ geography learning in curriculum design and teaching processes. Also, the mediating role of geospatial thinking further uncovers the mechanisms underlying the academic achievement in geography. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on both students’ family capital and geospatial thinking in the process of geography learning, and carry out more geospatial thinking training to improve academic achievement in geography.

Few studies have examined how family capital affects the sense of place, and the effect of spatial thinking on the relationship between the two is unclear. This study constructs a mediation model to examine the impact of family capital on sense of place and the mediation effect of geospatial thinking. A total of 1,004 upper-secondary-school students were surveyed using the Family Capital Questionnaire, the Geospatial Thinking Test, and the Sense of Place Scale. The correlation analysis showed that family capital has a positive effect on both sense of place and geospatial thinking. Moreover, there is also a significant positive correlation between geospatial thinking and sense of place. The results of mediation analysis indicated that geospatial thinking plays mediating and buffering roles in the relationship between family capital and sense of place after controlling for gender and residential address. The direct and indirect effects accounted for 73.31 and 26.69% of the total effect, respectively. Specifically, family capital is a significant positive predictor of both sense of place and geospatial thinking, and geospatial thinking partially mediates the relationship between family capital and sense of place. Students from better family backgrounds are more likely to have a better geospatial thinking and sense of place, as well as geospatial thinking promotes the development of a sense of place. Therefore, both family capital and geospatial thinking should be considered when we want to examine and develop individuals’ level of sense of place.