Key question

• What is the learning theories Key question?

  How can we use our knowledge of how humans learn to explain smartphone addiction?
• P1 - What is nomophobia + operant conditioning

  AO1 - what is nomophobia

  • learned behaviour involving a compulsion to constantly relying on smartphones
  • fear of being without moble phone
  • signs include withdrawal when trying to cut phone usage
  • affects productivity
  • more students using phones led to schools dropping in ranks

  AO2 - operant conditioning

  • variable ratio reinforcement - repeated checking
  • cannot predict when a reward is received
• P2 - Why people use smartphones + positive reinforcement

  AO1 - why people use smartphones

  • easily accessible, portable devices
  • 50% of users never switch off their phones
  • 71% sleep with their phone next to them
  • correlation between heavy phone users and stress/anxiety.depression

  AO2 - positive reinforcement

  • posting a selfie and getting likes, repeat
  • damaging if no likes are received
• P3 - Damage interactions + negative reinforcement

  AO1 - damage interactions

  • limit social interactions
  • scroll through phone instead of eye contact
  • feeds into social anxiety through avoidance of social interactions
  • issues forming/maintaining relationships

  AO2 - negative reinforcement

  • remove something unpleasant
  • use phone to remove awkwardness of social interactions
• P4 - Why do people want a phone + social learning theory

  AO1 - why do young people want a phone

  • 53% of phone users had a phone at age 7
  • pressure from advertising
  • want to be like peers
  • parents feel pressured to by phones
  • financial strain of top brands

  AO2 - social learning theory

  • peers could be role models
  • child will pay attention to peers using phones and retain that memory
  • imitate behaviour by wanting a phone
  • motivation comes from positive reinforcement (likes)