Mobile phone addiction tendency and adult attachment among adolescents

Objective To study mobile phone addiction tendency,interpersonal attachment,and their relationship among adolescent students.Methods Totally 350 adolescent students selected with cluster sampling were interviewed using Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Questionnaire (MPATS)and the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ).Results The score of MPATS in the students was 41.30±10.74 and 27.06% of the students were scored as higher mobile phone addiction tendency.Among the students,the proportion of the four attachment types (secure,fearful,preoccupied,and dismissing type)was 27.72%,7.59%,34.32%,and 30.36%,respectivecy.The score of the mobile phone addiction tendency was 38.98±8.63 for the children with the secure attachment type,43.91±11.41 for the fearful type,44.01±11.38 for the preoccupied type,and 39.71±10.91 for the dismissing type,respectively.There was a significant difference in the mobile phone addiction tendency among the children with different attachment types (F=4.824,P<0.01).There was a positive correlation between mobile phone addiction tendency and fearful type and preoccupied attachment type (r=0.175-0.249,P<0.01).There was a negative correlation between secure factors and the mood changes (r=-0.122,P<0.05).Conclusion Mobile phone addiction is prevalent among adolescent students;the unsecure attachment students are more prone to mobile phone addiction behavior;the fearful and the preoccupied attachment factors are significant predictors of mobile phone addiction tendency.