Abstract
Two dimensions of temperament, namely, (high levels of) novelty seeking and (low levels of) harm avoidance are related to substance addictions. However, their implications for smartphone addiction remain unexplored. Medical students are heavy smartphone users. Accordingly, screening for the risk of smartphone addiction based on individual differences in temperament can facilitate the identification of the best possible prevention strategy. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between temperament and the vulnerability to smartphone addiction among medical students in Jakarta, Indonesia. The research study adopted a cross-sectional research design and used a simple random sampling technique. The Indonesian versions of the Temperament and Character Inventory and the Smartphone Addiction Scale were used to measure the study variables. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between demographic factors, patterns of smartphone use, temperament, and vulnerability to smartphone addiction. A majority of the 185 participants were found to have the following temperament profile: low levels of novelty seeking and high levels of reward dependence and harm avoidance. The average duration of daily smartphone use was 7.83 hours (SD = 4.03) and the age at first smartphone use was 7.62 years (SD = 2.60). The respondents used smartphone to communicate with other people and access social media. A high level of harm avoidance was significantly associated with the risk of smartphone addiction (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.04, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.12, 3.70). The findings suggest that smartphone addiction is comparable to other addictive behaviors. Further, harm avoidance increases the risk of smartphone addiction. Therefore, the risk of smartphone addiction among medical students must be ascertained based on their temperament profiles.
Highlights
Smartphones, which are mobile phones that provide integrated communication and computation services, play an important role in people’s lives worldwide [1,2]
According to a study that was conducted by the Pew Research Center, smartphone ownership is strongly related to internet connectivity [3]
The sample that was used in the present cross-sectional study, which consisted of 300 medical students who were in the fifth semesters of their medical courses, were recruited from three medical institutions
Summary
Smartphones, which are mobile phones that provide integrated communication and computation services, play an important role in people’s lives worldwide [1,2]. Some individuals experience phantom vibration and ringing (i.e., the perception that one’s phone is vibrating or ringing despite a lack of corresponding stimuli; 8) This phenomenon is not the same as compensation; its objective entails neither an escape from problems or responsibilities nor an avoidance of negative emotions [9]. Ko et al conducted a study on the role of temperament in behavioral addiction [16] They found that individuals who had been diagnosed with internet addiction had high levels of NS and HA, and low levels of RD. There has been no past attempt to examine the role of temperament in smartphone addiction. The study aimed to examine the temperament profiles of medical students in Jakarta and their association with the vulnerability to smartphone addiction
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
