AN EXPLORATION OF THE PARATAXIC BEHAVIOUR AND IMPLICATIONS OF HOLE-IN-THE-WALLET PHENOMENON AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KENYA

Abstract

Students in Kenyan Universities receive some form of pocket money for academic and non-academic endeavours. However, there exists a knowledge gap in relation to how this money is utilized particularly for non-academic activities. This Paper reports findings of a study done among Kenyan University students to explore how they used pocket money for non-academic activities and how this impacted on their unending quest for success in betting activities The study was guided by the theory of interpersonal interaction advanced by Harry Stack Sullivan (1950). The study employed two research designs; survey and ex post facto. The survey design was deemed appropriate because it enabled the researcher to describe the parataxic experiences of male and female students in the sample and generalize them to the larger group from which the sample was drawn. The ex post facto design was appropriate because the effects of the variables had already occurred and thus not manipulable. The study targeted male and female students pursuing different areas of training on full time basis in selected private and public Universities in Kenya. The sample was drawn using stratified random sampling. The questionnaire comprising Likert type items was the main research tool. Validity was established by expert judgement while reliability was sought by use of the split-half technique. The study found that peers introduced university students to betting activities based on unrealistic expectations of making quick money. The quest for quick money pushed the students to various betting activities and more males than females gambled away college fees leading to the hole-in the wallet phenomenon. The study established that university students experienced varied internal conflicts which could be attributed to betting. The study recommends an establishment of a support system to engage university students in socially acceptable ways for enhanced individual wellbeing so that they can reap the maximum benefits of learning. Article visualizations: