The Role of Texting Motivations in Moderating the Relation between Compulsive Texting and Adolescents' Adjustment
Year: 2010
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Over the past several years, text messaging has dramatically increased among youth, but there is limited research on how compulsive texting relates to children's adjustment.The purpose of the current study was to examine the relation of compulsive texting to adjustment indices drawn from literature on internet addiction (e.g., academic adjustment, aggression, internalizing symptoms) and, based on the Uses and Gratifications Model, examine how motivations for texting (e.g., efficiency, escapism, intimacy, perceived control over social interactions) moderated the relation between compulsive texting and the adjustment variables.For exploratory purposes, sex was examined as an additional moderator.Survey data were collected from 403 students in the 8 th and 11 th grades in a rural Midwestern community.Correlational analyses supported the hypothesis that higher levels of compulsive texting would relate to higher levels of aggression and internalizing symptoms and lower levels of academic adjustment.Sex differences were found on the relation between compulsive texting and internalizing symptoms and on the relation between compulsive texting and academic adjustment.For these relations, significant correlations were found only for females.Hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypotheses that the escapism motivation for texting and the perceived control over social interactions motivation for texting moderated the relation between compulsive texting and internalizing symptoms, for both males and females.These motivations strengthened the relation between compulsive texting and internalizing symptoms, suggesting that they could serve as vulnerability factors.Although the study is correlational and causality cannot be determined, the findings have implications for theory and practice.For example, it could be that deficits in coping skills (escapism motivation) or iv discomfort in face-to-face social interactions (perceived control over social interactions motivation) relate to the etiology of compulsive texting.Awareness of youth's motivations for texting can inform parents and educators about the nature of problematic texting and directions to take to restrict excessive use.v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Eric Dubow, for his support and guidance with my thesis.Eric taught me the importance of theoretically-driven hypotheses in conducting psychological research.Further, his critique of my thesis drafts was thorough, detailed, and informative.From Eric's feedback I have learned how to create a methodologically sound research project and how to critically evaluate my results.I also appreciate and thank my other committee members, Anne Gordon and Carolyn Tompsett, for their time, support, and enthusiasm.I would also like to give a
Author: Sarah E. Domoff
Institution: Bowling Green State University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2197872336