O'Dwyer, John D. (2016) Exploring the Relationship between Mobile Phone Attachment, Attitudes towards Social Media and Use and Cognitive Function. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Over the last ten years social media and technology use (i.e., media use) in conjunction with smartphone use, which are considered the epicentre and facilitators of media multitasking (MM), have become ubiquitous. MM can be defined as the simultaneous use of social media, technology and devices with or without face-to-face interactions. Researchers have begun to examine the discrepancy between high and low media use and MM in cognitive functioning and academic performance. Typically, high users display reduced performance. However, recently studies have begun to explore the possible antecedents to media use and MM, such as the socioemotional and dispositional factors. A convenience sample of Australian university students were used to explore the relationship of media use, attitudes towards media use, perceived attachment to smartphones and two cognitive function (CF) measures of attention and inhibition. In addition, the study controlled for measurement error attributable to intellectual ability and effort (rather than CF). Results indicated that overall, in the current sample, there were no significant differences between high and low media users on attentional and inhibition tasks. The current study suggests that dispositional factors (e.g., attachment to smartphones) was significantly associated with a preference for multitasking and smartphones use. In addition, the current study offers support for the role of smartphones as MM facilitators. The implications, strengths and limitations of the current study as well as future research will be discussed.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Suzanne Czech |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Sep 2025 23:11 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Sep 2025 23:11 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | media use ; technology use ; media multitasking ; attachment to smartphones ; anxiety and dependence on technology ; cognitive function |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52627 |
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