Developing a Model of Fear of Missing Out Based on Identity Styles, Attachment, and Parenting Styles with the Mediating Role of Behavioral Brain Systems in Female Students Using Virtual Social Networks at Islamic Azad University of Arak
Keywords:
Fear of Missing Out, Identity Styles, Attachment Styles, Parenting Styles, Behavioral Brain SystemsAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to develop a structural model of fear of missing out (FoMO) based on identity styles, attachment styles, and parenting styles with the mediating role of behavioral brain systems among female university students using virtual social networks.
Methods and Materials: The present study employed a correlational design using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of female undergraduate students at Islamic Azad University during the 2025–2026 academic year. Based on the recommendation of Rex B. Kline (2023), 224 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Fear of Missing Out Scale developed by Andrew Przybylski et al. (2013), the Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory developed by Rosenthal et al. (1981), the Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire developed by Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver (1987), the Baumrind Parenting Styles Questionnaire (1971), the Behavioral Brain Systems Questionnaire developed by Charles Carver and White (1994), and the Internet Addiction Questionnaire developed by Kimberly Young (1999). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 and LISREL version 8.8.
Findings: The results indicated that the proposed structural model demonstrated acceptable fit indices (RMSEA = .074, CFI = .92, IFI = .92, GFI = .91, χ²/df = 2.21). Identity coherence had a significant negative relationship with behavioral inhibition and FoMO and a positive relationship with behavioral activation. Identity confusion showed a positive and significant relationship with behavioral inhibition. Secure attachment negatively predicted behavioral inhibition and FoMO, whereas avoidant and anxious attachment styles positively predicted behavioral inhibition and FoMO. Authoritative parenting style negatively predicted FoMO and behavioral inhibition and positively predicted behavioral activation, whereas authoritarian and permissive parenting styles positively predicted FoMO and behavioral inhibition. Behavioral brain systems significantly mediated the relationships between identity styles, attachment styles, parenting styles, and FoMO.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that FoMO among female university students is influenced by a combination of identity-related, attachment-related, familial, and neuropsychological factors. Identity coherence, secure attachment, and authoritative parenting functioned as protective factors against FoMO, whereas identity confusion, insecure attachment styles, and maladaptive parenting styles increased vulnerability to FoMO. Furthermore, behavioral brain systems played a significant mediating role in explaining these relationships. The results highlight the importance of considering psychological, familial, and neurobiological mechanisms in understanding and preventing problematic social media engagement and FoMO among university students.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Pegah Taghvaei (Author); Hossein Mohagheghi; Abolghasem Yaghoobi, Shahriar Yarmohammadi Vasel (Author)
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