Questionable mediated effect of short-video addiction on social connection among older adults: A reanalysis of Guo et al. (2026)
Abstract
Using the covariance matrix reported by Guo et al., we reassessed the evidence supporting their mediation model linking short-video addiction with lower social connection among older adults. We demonstrate that the observed relationships are reproduced almost perfectly by an alternative latent-variable framework that does not require the directional pathways proposed in the original article. In this alternative account, perceived short-video addiction, self-esteem, subjective well-being, and social connection are viewed as observable expressions of a broader core self-evaluation construct. The findings highlight the problem of model underdetermination in observational studies, where distinct theoretical explanations may fit the same empirical data equally well. Consequently, researchers should consider competing model specifications and remain cautious when interpreting correlational results as evidence for specific influencing mechanisms.
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BibTeX
@misc{sorjonen2026questionable,
title = {{Questionable mediated effect of short-video addiction on social connection among older adults: A reanalysis of Guo et al. (2026)}},
author = {Kimmo Sorjonen and Bo Melin and Marika Melin},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/rg6u3_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/rg6u3_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Questionable mediated effect of short-video addiction on social connection among older adults: A reanalysis of Guo et al. (2026)
AU - Kimmo Sorjonen
AU - Bo Melin
AU - Marika Melin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/07
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/rg6u3_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/rg6u3_v1/
AB - Using the covariance matrix reported by Guo et al., we reassessed the evidence supporting their mediation model linking short-video addiction with lower social connection among older adults. We demonstrate that the observed relationships are reproduced almost perfectly by an alternative latent-variable framework that does not require the directional pathways proposed in the original article. In this alternative account, perceived short-video addiction, self-esteem, subjective well-being, and social connection are viewed as observable expressions of a broader core self-evaluation construct. The findings highlight the problem of model underdetermination in observational studies, where distinct theoretical explanations may fit the same empirical data equally well. Consequently, researchers should consider competing model specifications and remain cautious when interpreting correlational results as evidence for specific influencing mechanisms.
ER -