Smartphone Addiction Proneness, Mastery, Perceived Cohesion and School Burnout among Vietnamese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model

Background/ problem: Smartphone addiction proneness is associated with academic and psychological difficulties among adolescents, yet mechanisms linking it to school burnout remain underexamined in Vietnam. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, smartphone addiction proneness may undermine mastery, thereby increasing vulnerability to school burnout. Objective/ purpose: This study examined whether mastery mediated the association between smartphone addiction proneness and school burnout and whether perceived classroom cohesion moderated this association. Design and Methodology: A cross-sectional of 375 secondary and high school students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam employed convenience sampling. Participants completed measures of smartphone addiction proneness, school burnout, mastery, and perceived classroom cohesion. A moderated mediation path model was estimated using standardized scores and 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Results: Smartphone addiction proneness negatively predicted mastery (β = -.20, p < .001), while mastery negatively predicted school burnout (β = -.19, p < .001). The indirect effect through mastery was significant (β = .04, p = .03, 95% CI [.01, .08]), and the direct effect remained significant (β = .33, p < .001). Perceived classroom cohesion negatively predicted school burnout (β = -.17, p < .001), whereas its interaction with smartphone addiction proneness was positive (β = .10, p = .04). Conclusion and Implications: Smartphone addiction proneness was linked to higher school burnout directly and through lower mastery. Perceived classroom cohesion was associated with lower burnout overall but strengthened the positive association between smartphone addiction proneness and school burnout. School-based interventions should strengthen mastery and promote healthier peer connection norms.