The influence of meaning in life on smartphone addiction among nursing undergraduates: the mediating roles of professional identity and achievement motivation

Professional identity refers to an individual’s perception of the goals, social value, and other aspects of their profession and is an important developmental task during a student’s growth [18]. It is closely related to meaning in life and smartphone addiction. Existing research has demonstrated that meaning in life can significantly positively predict professional identity [19]. According to Frankl’s existential analysis theory [20], when individuals have a clear understanding and pursuit of the meaning of life, they are more likely to connect this meaning with their profession, viewing their career as a means of realizing the meaning of their existence, thereby forming a strong sense of professional identity. In terms of the relationship between professional identity and smartphone addiction, research indicates that lower professional identity can significantly negatively predict smartphone addiction [21]. nurses students, as a unique group, endure significant academic pressure [22]. General strain theory posits that stress can lead to negative emotions, which, in turn, may trigger problematic behaviors [23]. Smartphone addiction can be considered a type of impulse control disorder. It refers to a compulsive state caused by uncontrolled, inappropriate, or excessive use of smartphones, leading to behavioral and emotional problems, as well as impairments in individuals’ physiological, psychological, and/or social functioning. It is one of the typical problematic behaviors [2, 24]. Professional identity, as a protective factor, can buffer individuals’ perception of stress and the negative emotions it induces, thereby reducing the occurrence of problematic behaviors such as smartphone addiction [21]. Combining existential psychology [20] and general strain theory [23], we hypothesize that when individuals perceive a clear sense of meaning in life, they will seek to realize their self-worth through their profession. By identifying with their profession, they can transform this sense of meaning into career goals and directions, focusing more on professional development and alleviating the negative emotions and problematic behaviors caused by stress. Therefore, the researchers propose the following hypothesis:

Achievement motivation is considered a relatively stable tendency to strive for success in achieving goals or completing tasks [25]. Different types of motivation can affect various aspects of individuals’ daily behaviors, including goal setting, learning expectations, and performance [26, 27]. Achievement motivation has been found to significantly negatively predict smartphone addiction [28]. According to self-determination theory [29], human behavior is driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, Achievement motivation is typically an intrinsic motivation related to a sense of competence, pushing individuals to pursue excellence and success. individuals with high achievement motivation tend to focus more on long-term goals and are better able to avoid behaviors that offer short-term satisfaction, such as smartphone addiction [30]. In addition, studies have found that meaning in life can significantly positively predict achievement motivation [31]. An essential component of meaning in life is closely related to individuals’ perception and realization of life goals [12]. Meaning in life includes goal pursuit, purpose, and motivational values at the level of motivation. When individuals perceive a sense of meaning in life, they also develop an awareness of important self-related goals [32]. The purposefulness of achievement motivation serves as an essential intrinsic reason and driving force for individuals to pursue success [33]. Therefore, as individuals’ sense of meaning in life strengthens, their clear recognition of personal goals and intrinsic motivation are further enhanced, leading to higher achievement motivation in the pursuit of success. Psychologist Locke proposed goal-setting theory Locke proposed goal-setting theory [34], which posits that goals have a motivating function, transforming individuals’ needs into motivation, guiding them toward predetermined directions, and allowing for behavioral adjustments along the way. When individuals already have, or are actively seeking, goals or meaning in life, they convert these needs into motivation, which then governs their behavior. This enables them to better self-regulate and resist distractions like smartphone addiction. Thus, the researchers propose the following hypothesis:

In summary, this study proposes a parallel mediation theoretical model (Fig. 1) with two primary objectives:

In August 2023, a total of 637 undergraduate nursing students were recruited as participants from two medical universities in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, using the convenience sampling method. The inclusion criteria were: (1) currently enrolled undergraduate nursing stuenrolled undergraduate nursing students, (2) provided informed consent and voluntarily participated in the survey. The exclusion criteria were students who were unable to participate in the survey due to reasons such as suspension or withdrawal from school.

This study utilized an online survey to collect data, distributing questionnaires to eligible undergraduate nursing students via the electronic platform “Questionnaire Star” (https://​www.​wjx.​cn). On average, participants required 5–10 min to complete the questionnaire. Participants accessed the survey through a hyperlink and filled it out anonymously on their smartphones or computers. At the beginning of the questionnaire, the purpose, significance, and confidentiality of the study were explained. All items in the questionnaire were marked as mandatory.

To prevent duplicate submissions, each WeChat account and its associated IP address could only submit the questionnaire once. After data collection, researchers checked the data and excluded invalid responses, including those completed in an excessively short time (less than 120 s), questionnaires with identical scores for all items, or responses displaying a patterned filling behavior. A total of 645 questionnaires were distributed, of which 637 valid responses were collected, resulting in an effective response rate of 98.76%.

After the survey was completed, the data were organized using Excel, and descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS 27.0 statistical software. Model 4 from the PROCESS macro, prepared by Hayes [44], was used to analyze the mediation effect. The theoretical hypothesis model was further tested by estimating the 95% confidence interval of the mediation effect based on 5,000 bootstrap samples using model 4 in PROCESS. If the 95% confidence interval does not include zero, it indicates a statistically significant mediation effect. Additionally, all variables were standardized beforehand to avoid biases in the mediation effect.

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Chengdu Medical College (Ethical approval number: 2023No.64). All participants were fully informed about the purpose of the study, the principle of anonymity, and the precautions before completing the questionnaire. Participants provided their informed consent electronically, indicating their voluntary participation. The researchers committed to maintaining strict confidentiality of participants’ information, and all data were used solely for the purposes of this study’s analysis.

This study included 637 undergraduate nursing students from two medical universities in western China. Regarding demographic variables, the sample distribution was reasonable (Table 1), representative, and adequately met the needs of this study. Among the participants, 162 were aged 18–19 (25.4%), 279 were aged 20–21 (43.8%), 159 were aged 22–23 (25.0%), and 37 were aged 24–25 (5.8%). The sample included 105 males (16.5%) and 532 females (83.5%). In terms of academic year, 134 were first-year students (21.0%), 229 were second-year students (35.9%), 182 were third-year students (28.6%), and 92 were fourth-year students (14.5%).

The Harman single-factor method was used to test for common method bias. The results indicated that there were five factors with eigenvalues greater than one, and the variance explained by the first common factor was 28.21%, which is less than the critical value of 40%. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is no significant common method bias in the data of this study.

A correlation analysis was conducted on the four variables: meaning in life, smartphone addiction, professional identity, and achievement motivation. The results showed that smartphone addiction, professional identity, meaning in life, and achievement motivation were significantly correlated (P < 0.01), as presented in Table 2.

The mediation effect analysis was conducted using PROCESS, an SPSS macro developed by Hayes (2012). Controlling for gender and age, the parallel mediation effect of professional identity and achievement motivation on the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction was tested. The results (Tables 3 and 4) showed that meaning in life had a significant negative predictive effect on smartphone addiction (β = -0.441, t = -12.701, p < 0.001). Additionally, meaning in life significantly positively predicted professional identity (β = 0.489, t = 15.195, p < 0.001) and achievement motivation (β = 0.581, t = 18.164, p < 0.001). When professional identity and achievement motivation were introduced as mediating variables in the model, both professional identity (β = -0.350, t = -8.290, p < 0.001) and achievement motivation (β = -0.264, t = -6.201, p < 0.001) had significant negative predictive effects on smartphone addiction. Meaning in life continued to have a significant negative predictive effect on smartphone addiction (β = -0.116, t = -3.007, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the direct effect of meaning in life on smartphone addiction and the mediating effects of professional identity and achievement motivation, as estimated by the Bootstrap 95% confidence interval, did not include zero. This indicates that meaning in life not only directly predicts smartphone addiction but also does so indirectly through the mediating effects of professional identity and achievement motivation. Professional identity and achievement motivation partially mediate the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction. The direct effect of meaning in life on smartphone addiction (β = -0.116), the mediating effect of professional identity (β = -0.172), and the mediating effect of achievement motivation (β = -0.153) accounted for 26.3%, 39.0%, and 34.7% of the total effect (β = -0.441), respectively. The parallel mediation model is illustrated in Fig. 2.

The results of this study show that meaning in life can negatively predict smartphone addiction, confirming hypothesis H1, which is consistent with the findings of Liu et al. [16]. As a key element of individuals’ well-being, meaning in life has been extensively shown to be associated with psychological indicators such as subjective well-being, hope, and optimism [45‐47], These factors contribute significantly to promoting the psychological health and personal development of university students. Meaning in life is not only a protective psychological resource for university students’ development [48], but also an effective factor in reducing the risk of smartphone addiction [49]. Moreover, individuals with a strong sense of meaning in life are better able to perceive the purpose or mission of their existence, enabling them to pursue clear life goals and long-term values. Clear life goals provide a framework for organizing daily activities and connecting current behaviors with future aspirations, thereby enhancing their sense of motivation and meaning in life [50]. Specifically, students with a high sense of meaning in life are more likely to possess well-defined life goals, which help them avoid feelings of boredom and emptiness. As a result, they are less likely to resort to smartphones as a way of escaping these emotions, thereby reducing the probability of smartphone addiction. Given the positive impact of meaning in life on reducing smartphone addiction, enhancing the sense of meaning in life among nursing students is essential. Interventions such as meaning-based emotional regulation programs [51] may play a positive role in enhancing meaning in life. However, further research is needed to validate the effectiveness of such measures specifically among nursing students.

This study found that meaning in life can positively predict professional identity, which also supports the findings of Qiu et al. [19]. Meaning in life is a higher-level psychological experience and need that involves an individual’s understanding and pursuit of their own existential value [12].For nursing students, meaning in life not only reflects their perception of the value of their profession but also encompasses their recognition and pursuit of the noble goals associated with nursing as a medical profession [52]. When individuals perceive their lives as meaningful, they are more motivated to face challenges and overcome difficulties [53]. Therefore, nursing students with a strong sense of meaning in life are more likely to have the motivation and resources to address the ambiguities and complexities inherent in career choices and professional challenges [54], thereby forming a stronger sense of professional identity and adopting a more positive outlook on their future careers in the medical field.

This study also found that professional identity can negatively predict smartphone addiction, consistent with the findings of Liu et al. [21]. Furthermore, professional identity helps students effectively cope with stress, leading to better adaptation and development [55]. When faced with stress, nursing students with a higher sense of professional identity are more likely to rely on positive psychological resilience, reducing their dependence on smartphones and thereby lowering the likelihood of addictive behaviors. These findings suggest that professional identity, as a protective psychological resource, not only buffers the negative impacts of stress but also provides students with a sense of professional value and purpose, reducing the risk of smartphone addiction caused by stress and uncertainty.

This study further revealed that professional identity partially mediates the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction, confirming hypothesis H2. Specifically, the stronger the sense of meaning in life among nursing students, the stronger their professional identity, and consequently, the lower their likelihood of smartphone addiction. Students with a strong sense of meaning in life typically have positive expectations for their future professional prospects and clear career goals [56], along with a proactive learning attitude [57]. As a result, they actively gather knowledge related to their profession and gain deeper insights into the direction of their career development. This proactiveness fosters a stronger sense of professional identity. With enhanced professional identity, students become more aware of their career goals and responsibilities. When faced with academic pressure and professional challenges, they tend to adopt more positive and proactive coping strategies [54, 58]. These effective stress management strategies reduce their reliance on maladaptive coping mechanisms, such as smartphone addiction, to alleviate stress. Based on these findings, nursing educators can implement professional identity education [59], engage students in nursing practice [60], and provide empathy training [61] to help nursing students integrate meaning in life with professional values, thereby enhancing their sense of professional identity.These efforts could further reduce the occurrence of smartphone addiction behaviors.

This study found that meaning in life can positively predict achievement motivation, a finding consistent with self-determination theory [62], which posits that meaning in life can enhance intrinsic motivation by fulfilling individuals’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When nursing students experience a sense of meaning in life, their autonomy, competence, and relatedness are strengthened, which in turn promotes their intrinsic motivation. Specifically, meaning in life enables them to focus on long-term goals in professional development and personal inner fulfillment. This suggests that when nursing students perceive their profession as deeply meaningful, their motivation becomes more stable and enduring, rather than relying solely on external rewards or short-term goals.Consequently, they fosters a stronger sense of professional identity and self-worth among students, leading them to pursue academic and career achievements more actively. Furthermore, the results of this study extend findings in positive psychology, supporting Seligman’s view that meaning in life is a key factor in driving individual motivation [63]. Unlike previous studies that focused on general university students, this research specifically examines nursing students, highlighting the unique role that meaning in life plays in fostering achievement motivation within a professional context.

The study also found that achievement motivation negatively predicts smartphone addiction; that is, the higher the level of achievement motivation among nursing students, the lower their likelihood of smartphone addiction. Self-determination theory [62] emphasizes that behaviors driven by intrinsic motivation, such as pursuing meaningful goals, result in greater satisfaction and well-being. emphasizes that behaviors driven by intrinsic motivation, such as pursuing meaningful goals, result in greater satisfaction and well-being.

Achievement motivation plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction, which supports hypothesis H3. Goal-setting theory [34] can be used to explain this result. When nursing students have or are actively pursuing life goals or a sense of meaning, they transform the need to achieve these goals into achievement motivation, thereby reducing their reliance on external stimuli such as smartphones. An enhanced sense of meaning in life enables students to focus more on academic and career goals, and achievement motivation reinforces their pursuit of these goals. Students with high achievement motivation are more likely to adopt proactive behaviors, effectively manage their time, minimize distractions, and avoid unhealthy habits such as smartphone addiction. In contrast, students who lack a clear sense of meaning in life may struggle to generate sufficient achievement motivation and fail to channel their energy into meaningful activities, making them more susceptible to the lure of instant gratification behaviors, such as excessive smartphone use. Moreover, research in the field of motivational arousal suggests that the development of achievement motivation is based on achievement goals or incentives [64], and meaning in life helps individuals identify life purposes or achievement goals, thereby fostering the formation of achievement motivation. Individuals with high achievement motivation are better able to focus their attention on important tasks, reducing the interference of random events with their primary goals [65]. Thus, achievement motivation mediates the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction. This finding suggests that educational interventions aimed at enhancing students’ sense of meaning in life can also strengthen their intrinsic motivation, helping them resist the negative effects of external distractions such as smartphones. To effectively address the issue of smartphone addiction, educators should focus on cultivating students’ intrinsic motivation, helping them discover meaning in their academic and professional pursuits. By encouraging students to pursue meaningful goals, educators can help them reduce their dependence on instant gratification behaviors and distractions.

Smartphone addiction, characterized by excessive use and lack of self-control, can negatively impact nursing students’ academic performance and daily lives. Therefore, it is essential to prevent and intervene in smartphone addiction among nursing students. A lack of meaning in life can lead to addictive behaviors, and this absence of meaning may be related to the lack of education on life’s purpose. To effectively prevent smartphone addiction among nursing students, universities should adopt various educational methods, such as academic lectures, to help students recognize the value of life, understand and accept themselves, and actively seek meaning in life. Nursing managers and educators should tailor life education programs to the characteristics of nursing students, integrating clinical teaching to increase their interest in the nursing profession, while guiding them to form correct life values and worldviews. Additionally, intervention measures to enhance a sense of meaning in life can also be implemented, such as class group counseling [66], life review interventions, and existential therapy techniques [67]. Exploring the concept of meaning in life, can help students gain a clearer understanding of its significance, better plan and navigate their university lives, and avoid falling into smartphone addiction due to feelings of emptiness or lack of direction. Moreover, there should be a stronger emphasis on educating nursing students about professional identity and achievement motivation. On one hand, fostering and reinforcing professional identity through targeted career counseling can help students understand the career prospects and characteristics of the nursing profession, enhancing their sense of professional identity and understanding of nursing’s societal and personal value. On the other hand, educators should encourage nursing students to set short- and long-term goals at different stages by setting reasonable targets and improving teaching methods. Through diverse educational approaches, students can be guided to analyze their situations scientifically, build good study habits, and strengthen their achievement motivation. By enhancing professional identity and achievement motivation, students will gain a clearer sense of their career goals and life direction, thus reducing the likelihood of falling into smartphone addiction due to a lack of motivation or confusion.

Although previous studies have explored the relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction, few have investigated the mediating roles of “professional identity” and “achievement motivation” in explaining this relationship. This study addresses this gap by introducing professional identity and achievement motivation as mediating variables, proposing a new theoretical model to uncover how meaning in life influences smartphone addiction through these mediators. This novel approach provides a fresh perspective for understanding the complex relationship between meaning in life and smartphone addiction, offering valuable theoretical insights for the development of future strategies to prevent smartphone addiction.

This study has several limitations: First, although a cross-sectional design was conducted based on relevant theories, it still cannot fully determine the causal relationships between variables. The analysis of mediation effects may be subject to bias, so future research should employ longitudinal studies to explore the causal relationships between variables more thoroughly. Second, the measurement of each variable in this study mainly relied on self-report, which may be influenced by social desirability bias. Lastly, the study population was limited to nursing students from a specific region, which may restrict the generalizability of the findings. Future research could further explore nursing students from different cultural backgrounds and adopt multiple measurement methods to enhance the reliability of the results.