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Relationship between social media addiction, victimization, and cyberbullying exposure among college students. Education & Pedagogy Journal. 2023;2(6):31-44. DOI:

Social media is an integral part of modern life. Internet activity among young people has increased significantly in recent years. However, the extensive use of social media has led to addiction, which has caused numerous problems. This study aims to investigate the possible relationships between social media addiction, the occurrence of cyberbullying exposure, and the victimization of social media users in the Russian-speaking community. The study collected data through an online survey of 211 Slonim State Medical College students. The average age of participants: M = 17.5 (SD = 3.7). Addiction to social media was measured using the “ЗСС-15” questionnaire developed by V.P. Sheynov and A.S. Devitsyn. Victimization was measured using the “Adult Victimization Assessment Technique” developed by V.P. Sheynov. Smartphone addiction was measured using the short version of the “САС-16” questionnaire developed by V.P. Sheynov. The study also assessed the exposure of individuals to cyberbullying using the approach of V.P. Sheynov. This study includes a factor analysis: 1) a victimization questionnaire containing propensity factors for aggressive, self-destructive, addicted, careless, and risky behavior, as well as an integrative index of victimization (V.P. Sheinov); 2) a three-factor model of social network addiction: the psychological state of the network user, communication of the network user, and information (V.P. Sheinov). The authors found a correlation between social media addiction among college students and their susceptibility to cyberbullying, victimization, and smartphone addiction. The positive correlation between social media addiction and victimization is supported by the corresponding correlations between most factors that shape these complex constructs. These findings can be used to educate students about the dangers of excessive social media use.

Keywords: social media addiction, cyberbullying, cyberbullying exposure, victimization, smartphone addiction, adolescents

Problematic smartphone use and its relationship to personality orientation, Machiavellianism, and communication skills. Education & Pedagogy Journal. 2023;4(8):18-29. DOI:

The associations found in studies between smartphone addiction and numerous manifestations of subjective unhappiness (anxiety, depression, stress, procrastination, decreased self-control and self-esteem, dissatisfaction with life, and family problems) have led to the introduction of the construct ”problematic smartphone use” and the study of its content. The study aims to test the hypothesis that there are associations between problematic smartphone use and personality orientation, Machiavellianism, and communication skills in Russian-speaking society. Data for the empirical study were collected through online testing with 713 respondents in Belarus and Russia, including 361 women aged 15–77 (M = 26.6, SD = 10.9) and 350 men aged 12–82. The working hypothesis was confirmed: The study showed that men’s and women’s problematic smartphone use is positively correlated with self-orientation, Machiavellianism, dependent and aggressive behavior, and dependence on social networks, and negatively correlated with task orientation, assertive behavior, and age. At the same time, Machiavellianism is positively related to self-orientation, negatively related to interaction with others, and unrelated to the person’s task orientation. The results on the associations between problematic smartphone use and Machiavellianism and behaviors complement similar international findings. The relationship between problematic smartphone use and personality orientation has not been studied. The practical significance of the obtained results includes their possible use in prevention work to prevent students from becoming addicted to smartphones.

Keywords: problematic smartphone use, subjective stress, personality orientation, Machiavellianism, communication skills, women, men

Snyder’s Self-Monitoring Scale: short version, reliability, validity, factor structure. Education & Pedagogy Journal. 2024;1(9):62-74. DOI:

The widespread use of smartphones and social networks has profoundly affected the quality of communication and led to changes in its characteristics, including those measured by the Self-Monitoring Scale. Examining these changes is crucial, especially in the context of the evolving landscape of digital communication. Although the Self-Monitoring Scale was introduced 40 years ago by M. Snyder, it remains a staple of research, demonstrating its enduring applicability. However, there is a growing consensus in the psychological community, both domestically and internationally, that the established methods need to be updated. The reason for this is the potential discrepancy between the responses of today’s respondents and those of people from decades past for whom these scales were developed initially. The changing communication context requires re-evaluating these tools to ensure that they remain relevant and reflect current societal dynamics. The aim of the study to reduce the number of questions in the Scale is also important, as large questionnaires cause difficulties in collecting material and (as relevant offline and online studies have shown) lead to poorer quality responses. Aims of the research: 1) Development of a reliable and valid short version of the Self-Monitoring Scale by M. Snyder; 2) Construction of meaningful models for the Self-Monitoring Scale. The empirical basis of the study was the results of online tests with 1911 respondents from Belarus and Russia, including 1206 women and 605 men. The study was based on the classic test by M. Snyder Self-Monitoring Scale, questionnaires on smartphone addiction (author – V.P. Sheinov), addiction to social networks (authors – V.P. Sheinov, A.S. Dziavitsyn) and the Academic Motivation Scale questionnaire by Vallerand (adapted to the Russian-speaking society by T.O. Gordeeva, O.A. Sychev and E.N. Osin) was also used. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS-22 package and the R-based Jamovi version 2.3.21. As a result of this study, a valid and reliable short version of the Self-Monitoring Scale questionnaire was created, consisting of 8 questions on self-monitoring, with better psychometric properties than the original version created by M. Snyder. A rich two-factor model of the Self-Monitoring Scale was developed. The short Self-Monitoring Scale allows you to collect larger samples with better-quality responses.

Keywords: Self-Monitoring Scale, M. Snyder, short version of the Self-Monitoring Scale, reliability, validity, factor structure, psychometric properties, smartphone addiction, social media addiction, academic motivation scales