Influence of Gender and Marital Status on Mobile Phone Addictive Behaviours of Students Exposed to Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies

Abstract

The study was to investigate the influence of gender and marital status on mobile phone addictive behaviours of students exposed to cognitive and behavioural therapies. Sixty research participants (undergraduate regular students from three Colleges in the University of Cape Coast) were involved in the study. The multistage sampling technique was used in the selection of the research participants. The quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test (non-equivalent) control group design was employed to conduct the study. Three groups were involved in the study: two experimental groups and a control group. An adapted form of Choliz (2012) Test of Mobile Phone Dependence was used to collect the data. It was a structured questionnaire on a 5-point Likert-type scale, consisting of sixty (60) items. Two-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA)at an alpha level of .05was used to test the hypotheses. The main findings revealed that gender and marital status did not have a significant influence on mobile phone addictive behaviours of students exposed to cognitive and behavioural therapies. Both male and female participants who were either single or married did not necessarily respond differently to both therapies. Based on the findings, it was recommended that any of the therapies can reduce mobile phone addiction regardless of gender and marital status. Counsellors should therefore apply any of the therapies in dealing with the mobile phone addictive behaviours of their clients irrespective of their gender and marital status.