Investigating the relationship between excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adjustment with academic motivation in students

Dissertation for Master's degree

Counseling and guidance field

Investigation of the relationship between excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adjustment with academic motivation in students

Abstract:

This research examined the relationship between excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adjustment with academic motivation in students. The population of this research included all students of Azad University of Kermanshah in the academic year of 2013-2014. The sample size was 100 people who were randomly selected. 4 Sinha Social Adaptation Questionnaires (AISS), Harter Academic Motivation Questionnaire, Loneliness Scale and Mobile Phone Excessive Use Scale (COS) were used to collect data.  The findings of the research showed that there is a relationship between excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adaptation with academic motivation, and this relationship between excessive use of mobile phones and feelings of loneliness with academic motivation is inversely and between social adaptation and academic motivation was positive. Also, the results of the multiple regression test showed that the variables of excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adjustment explain 54% of the variance of the variable of academic motivation. The results of the F test showed that the variables of excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adjustment have a significant explanation of academic motivation. According to the findings, it can be concluded that academic motivation can be predicted by the variables of excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adaptation. Keywords: excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness, social adaptation, academic motivation and students. 4

Introduction

Humans get the necessary motivation to achieve their goals, needs and instincts. In the case of science seekers and students, the motivation for academic progress is of particular importance. With this motivation, people follow the necessary motivation to successfully finish a task, reach a goal or achieve a certain degree of competence in their work so that they can finally achieve the necessary success in learning and academic progress (Mohammadi, 2015; quoted by Yousefi, Ghasemi and Firoznia, 2015). Therefore, it can be said that motivation shows the reasons for people's behavior and determines why they act in a certain way (Omidian, 2015; quoted by Yousefi et al., 2016).

The use of mobile phones[1] in advanced countries has taken an important part of the lives of teenagers and young people. The use of mobile phones has increased greatly in Europe. According to the statistical reports of the coalition organization and Switzerland, almost 90% of the residents of European countries own a mobile phone (Biloux, Van der Linden and Rochat [2], 2008). Today, one of the issues that occupy a major part of the activities of psychologists and sociologists is the effects of technology on the lives of societies and people. Mobile phones have become one of the most significant aspects of modern life in a short space of time, and one of the areas that need to be deeply thought about is whether the use of mobile phones can lead to addiction. Some results indicate that soon mobile phones, computers, video technologies will be combined with each other and become an addictive monster and cause irreparable damage to the body of society (Laramai[3], 2007).

One of the important aspects of human development is the process of his socialization. The innateness of social life in human beings makes the necessity of being in contact with others as inevitable. One of the variables that has received a lot of research recently is the feeling of loneliness. While there are individual differences in the intensity of the need and how to get it, the satisfaction of this need requires a lot of positive interactions with other people in a durable situation that leads to the happiness and well-being of the parties. Therefore, people who are unable to establish and maintain satisfactory relationships with others and as a result have difficulty in meeting the "need to belong", are likely to experience a sense of deprivation that manifests itself as a "feeling of loneliness[4]".In other words, adaptation is a two-way process, on the one hand, the individual makes effective contact with the community, and on the other hand, the community provides tools through which the individual realizes his potential abilities. In this interaction, the individual and the society undergo change and a relatively stable compromise is created. In general, adaptation refers to a person's mastery of the environment and the feeling of coping with oneself. Each of us responds to the environment and the changes that occur in it. According to these statements, the current study tries to investigate the relationship between excessive use of mobile phones, feelings of loneliness and social adaptation with academic motivation. Statement of the problem: Youth is an important period of life, and changes in this period of growth may cause certain problems. When young people cannot successfully overcome transformational crises and challenges, they will experience psychological distress and a significant disruption will occur in the normal flow of daily life and emotional, social and cognitive aspects, as a result of which their personality will suffer (Garber, Keely, and Martin [5], 2002; quoted by Khushkensh et al., 2019). One of the topics studied in the youth period, and especially the student period, which is the most important period for acquiring knowledge and determining the future path of life, is having the necessary motivation to achieve goals, needs and academic progress. With this motivation, people pursue the necessary mobility to successfully finish a task, reach a goal, or achieve a certain degree of competence in their work, so that they can finally achieve the necessary success in learning and academic progress. Therefore, it can be said that motivation shows the reasons for people's behavior and determines why they act in a certain way (Yousef et al., 2018). Motivation is divided into two parts, internal and external (Abbaszadeh, Alizadeh Aghdam and Kohi, 2017), and each type of motivation is affected by various variables and situations. Factors affecting academic motivation can be placed in two general categories. One is the individual factors and the other is the environmental factors that includes the family, school and community environment (Tahiri and Fayazi, 2013).

In the era of communication, the mobile phone is the most used as a personal communication device, but aside from the advantages it brings, it also presents risks to its users (Roodbari, Sadati Qala, 2012) such as psychological addiction, weakening of values, reduction of social interactions, precocity, uses Unethical, jeopardizing personal security, etc. (Panahi, Faraji and Aslani, 2012).  This widespread growth in the use of mobile phones has drawn the attention of researchers to the biological effects caused by these mobile phones, while the psychological and social effects of long-term use of this device have not been paid enough attention (Golmohamedian and Yasminejad, 2019). One of the negative effects that the excessive use of mobile phones can have is reducing students' academic motivation.

In this field, one of the variables that has recently received a lot of research is the feeling of loneliness. Loneliness is one of the common experiences of youth (Bargh[6] et al., 1993; quoted by Najafi, Deshiri, Sheikhi, and Dabiri, 2019). Mishla [7] et al. (1982; quoted by Najafi et al., 2013) consider loneliness to be an unpleasant feeling that results from a deficiency in a person's network of social relationships, quantitatively and qualitatively, and the lack of access to close and desirable relationships with others. Reports indicate that more than 66% of middle and high school students have mentioned loneliness as an important problem (Kalb [8] et al., 1995; quoted by Najafi et al., 2013).  For many young people, loneliness caused by problems related to university, friends and peers, and family can be problems; more serious such as depression, suicidal ideation and violence (Koing[9] et al., 1994; Kalb et al., 1995; quoted by Najafi et al., 2013). Loneliness in young people indicates the inadequacy and weakness of interpersonal relationships with peers, which leads to dissatisfaction with social relationships with other young people (Dun, Dunn and Baydoza [10], 2007). Moody [11] (2001; cited by Jonsion [12], 2003), divided the feeling of loneliness into two types. Emotional loneliness and feeling of social loneliness. The feeling of emotional loneliness arises as a result of the lack of intimate relationships in a person's social life, while social loneliness is the result of not being noticed and staying on the sidelines.