Digital hoarding behaviors of college students based on life history strategies: The role of emotional attachment and emotional regulation

This study aims to investigate the impact of life history strategies on digital hoarding behavior, the mediating role of emotional attachment in that relationship, and the moderating role of emotional regulation. A total of 580 Chinese college students were investigated. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS26.0 software. The findings show that: (a) life history strategy is negatively correlated with digital hoarding behavior; (b) life history strategy influences digital hoarding behavior through its impact on emotional attachment; and (c) emotional regulation negatively affects the influence of emotional attachment on digital hoarding. This study’s findings will assist individuals in overcoming challenges associated with digital hoarding and enhancing their personal information management capabilities. By employing emotional regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal, individuals can weaken the impact of emotional attachment on their tendency toward engaging in excessive digital hoarding behaviors. In addition, it advances theoretical and practical research in the field of digital hoarding.