The Effect of the Level of Digital Addiction on University Students’ Attitudes Toward Sports: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility

The present study aimed to examine the effect of university students’ digital addiction levels on their attitudes toward sports and to determine the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in this relationship. The research was conducted using a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design within a mediation framework. The sample consisted of 464 undergraduate students enrolled in different faculties at Dicle University and selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Digital Addiction Scale, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and the Attitude Toward Sports Scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted, followed by multiple linear regression analysis to assess the simultaneous predictive effects of digital addiction and cognitive flexibility on attitudes toward sports. Mediation analysis was performed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples to estimate indirect effects. The findings revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between digital addiction and attitudes toward sports. Digital addiction was negatively associated with cognitive flexibility, whereas cognitive flexibility was positively related to attitudes toward sports. Bootstrap results indicated a statistically significant indirect effect of digital addiction on attitudes toward sports through cognitive flexibility. Overall, digital addiction was found to influence attitudes toward sports both directly and indirectly via cognitive flexibility. These findings highlight the importance of cognitive flexibility as a psychological mechanism in understanding sport-related attitudes within the context of increasing digital engagement.