Nomophobia among undergraduate

Predictive influence of personality traits

Abstract

It has been observed that students experience irrational fear whenever they are not close to their smart phones. This condition is technically known as Nomophobia, This study examined Personality traits as predictors of nomophobia among undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The researchers selected 181 participants from two faculties (Education and Social Sciences), comprising of 43 (23.8%) males and 138 (76.2%) females. The ages of these participants ranged from 18- 27 years, with a mean age of 21.96 and standard deviation of 2.91. Two instruments were used in the study. They included Big Five Personality Inventory developed by Donahue and Kentle (1991) and 20- item Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) by Yildrim (2014). The design employed was a predictive survey study and a multi-factor design hence multiple linear regression was used as statistical tool to analyze the data. The result showed that extraversion (B= .82, T= 2.46, P<.05) positively and significantly predicts Nomoophobia; agreeableness (B= -.15, T = -.48, P >.05) do not significantly predicts nomophobia; Conscientiousness ( B = -. 52, T = -.1.82, P< .05) Significantly predicts nomophobia; Neuroticism (B = .68, T = 2.48, P< .05) positively and Significantly predicts nomophobia. Finally openness to experience (B = .64, T = 2.36, P < .05) positively and significantly predicts nomophobia.