A study of smartphone addiction, fear of rejection and interpersonal communication skills as preditors of social connectedness among Malaysian undergraduate students

Kuek, Dewayne Hui En (2023) A study of smartphone addiction, fear of rejection and interpersonal communication skills as preditors of social connectedness among Malaysian undergraduate students. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Social connectedness is commonly referred to as a sense of being part of a group and community which is also considered a fundamental human need that may have an impact on one's health and well-being. However, many studies show a rise in emotions of disconnection, loneliness, and exclusion among undergraduates. Thus, the present study mainly aims to examine the relationships between social connectedness (SC), smartphone addiction (SA), fear of rejection (FOR), and interpersonal communication skills (ICS) among undergraduate students in Malaysia by using the cross-sectional research design. While 240 Malaysian’ respondents were recruited by purposive sampling and answered the Google Forms online questionnaire that was shared via Instagram, Messenger, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and WeChat. The respondents were 18 to 25-year-old university students from Malaysia (M = 21.8; SD = 1.43). Overall, it had more female respondents (n= 153; 65.1%) than male respondents (n= 82; 34.9%). The reliable instruments used were the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (SCS-R), Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form (SAS-SV), Fear of Rejection Scale, and Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale-Short Form (ICCS-SF). The hypotheses were tested through Pearson product moment correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The study’s findings showed that there is a significant relationship between social connectedness with SA (negatively) and FOR (negatively), and ICS (positively). In addition, the finding showed that SA may not significantly predict social connectedness, but FOR (negatively) and ICS (positively) can significantly predict social connectedness. In conclusion, this study has provided significant knowledge on the relationship between social connectedness, SA, FOR, and ICS. It may benefit future research and counsellor to create an effective intervention plan to aid their clients.

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