An Analysis of a Study on Cellphone Addiction

The research problem stated in Hawi and Samaha’s (2016a) study is that there is not enough resources regarding smartphones usage and it effects. The study hypothesized that perceived stress mediates the relationship between smartphone addiction risk and life satisfaction, academic performance mediates the relationship between risk of smartphone addiction and life satisfaction and there is zero order correlation between smartphone addiction and life satisfaction. The aims of the study are to investigate whether stress and academic performance mediate the relationship between smartphone addiction and life satisfaction and to explore the effect of life satisfaction on smartphone addiction.

Hawi and Samaha (2016) study’s research problem isthe frequent usage of smartphone among university students during studies which negatively affect their academic performance. The study hypothesized that male and female university students are equally vulnerable to smartphone addiction, have the same perceptions on smartphone use and related activities, have the same distinctive academic performance within same level of smartphone addiction and it is unlikely for university students with high risk of smartphone addiction achieve distinctive academic performance.

The study aims to address gender differences in smartphone addiction risk among university students.

Methodology

Both of the studies used cross sectional study using quantitative method. The independent variable in Hawi and Samaha (2016) study is smartphone addiction risk while the dependent variable is life satisfaction. The study involved 249 university students through stratified random sampling. The sampling method is suitable as it reduces selection bias and help ensures each subgroup within the population receives proper representation of the sample (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister & Zechmeister, 2015).

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On the other hand, the independent variable in Hawi and Samaha (2016) study is smartphone addiction risk while the dependent variable is academic performance. Hawi and Samaha (2016b) study selected 293 university students using systematic random sampling. This sampling method is not the best as the sample may be biased as hidden periodicity in the population may coincide with that of selection and the difficulty to assess precision of estimate from the survey (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister & Zechmeister, 2015). The two studies collect research data throughinternet survey from students. This technique is not appropriate as there is potential response bias and lack of research environment control (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister & Zechmeister, 2015).

Results and Conclusions

Hawi and Samaha (2016) study’s result shows that there is no relationship between smartphone addiction risk and life satisfaction. However, link between the variables through perceived stress and academic performance exits. Smartphone addiction risk revealed having positively correlation with stress and negatively correlation with academic performance. Perceive stress shows negative correlations with the life satisfaction and weak positive correlation between academic performance and life satisfaction. Overall, the study results confirmedhypothesis 1 and 2 and contributed to scientific knowledge regarding perceived stress and smartphone addiction and better intervention design for people with smartphone addiction risk.

Hawi and Samaha (2016b) study’s revealed that male and female university students are vulnerable to smartphone addiction. Both genders with distinctive academic achievement were revealed to have low risk in smartphone addiction. Females were shown to have higher academic achievement though have higher smartphone addiction risk. Study also showed that high smartphone addiction risk students are less likely to have distinctive academic achievement. Overall, the study confirmed hypothesis 1 and 4. The findings highlights the concerns of university students’ future and productivity of societies and the danger using smartphone at work, educational settings and traffic. The study contributes to existing literature by confirming previous results and to the education ministries and academic institutions to reduce smartphone addiction risk.

Critical evaluation

Since there is potential response bias and lack of environmental control, future research can look into research design that assures reliable results. The sampling procedure in Hawi and Samaha (2016b) can improve by using other sampling procedure that reduces bias.