Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical students

Abstract To explore the current situation of gaze anxiety and its relation with social media disorder and perceived discrimination in medical students, this study aimed to provide insights for the reform of medical communication education. A cross-sectional design was adopted, 811 medical students w...

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Main Authors: Yanan Zheng, Die Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05705-7
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author Yanan Zheng
Die Hu
author_facet Yanan Zheng
Die Hu
author_sort Yanan Zheng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract To explore the current situation of gaze anxiety and its relation with social media disorder and perceived discrimination in medical students, this study aimed to provide insights for the reform of medical communication education. A cross-sectional design was adopted, 811 medical students were selected, and they were investigated with the Chinese version of gaze anxiety rating scale, the Chinese short version of social media disorder scale and perceived discrimination questionnaire in May 2022. The results revealed that medical students’ gaze anxiety was the highest in the daily dimension, and there was a statistically significant difference among different grades (F = 13.063, p < 0.001); gaze anxiety was positively correlated with social media disorder (r = 0.504, p < 0.01) and perceived discrimination (r = 0.505, p < 0.01); social media disorder has a direct positive effect on medical students’ gaze anxiety and may also indirectly influence it through perceived discrimination. The conclusion was that perceived discrimination can play a partial mediating role between gaze anxiety and social media disorder among medical students.
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spelling doaj-art-f511705d716149be80eafbb4db5748d42025-08-20T03:03:40ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-011511810.1038/s41598-025-05705-7Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical studentsYanan Zheng0Die Hu1Department of Psychology, Gannan Medical UniversityNursing Department, Xuzhou Renci HospitalAbstract To explore the current situation of gaze anxiety and its relation with social media disorder and perceived discrimination in medical students, this study aimed to provide insights for the reform of medical communication education. A cross-sectional design was adopted, 811 medical students were selected, and they were investigated with the Chinese version of gaze anxiety rating scale, the Chinese short version of social media disorder scale and perceived discrimination questionnaire in May 2022. The results revealed that medical students’ gaze anxiety was the highest in the daily dimension, and there was a statistically significant difference among different grades (F = 13.063, p < 0.001); gaze anxiety was positively correlated with social media disorder (r = 0.504, p < 0.01) and perceived discrimination (r = 0.505, p < 0.01); social media disorder has a direct positive effect on medical students’ gaze anxiety and may also indirectly influence it through perceived discrimination. The conclusion was that perceived discrimination can play a partial mediating role between gaze anxiety and social media disorder among medical students.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05705-7Medical studentsGaze anxietySocial media disorderPerceived discrimination
spellingShingle Yanan Zheng
Die Hu
Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical students
Scientific Reports
Medical students
Gaze anxiety
Social media disorder
Perceived discrimination
title Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical students
title_full Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical students
title_fullStr Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical students
title_full_unstemmed Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical students
title_short Research on the relationship between gaze anxiety, social media disorder, and perceived discrimination in medical students
title_sort research on the relationship between gaze anxiety social media disorder and perceived discrimination in medical students
topic Medical students
Gaze anxiety
Social media disorder
Perceived discrimination
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05705-7
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AT diehu researchontherelationshipbetweengazeanxietysocialmediadisorderandperceiveddiscriminationinmedicalstudents