MOBILE PHONE DEPENDENCE OF FEMALE STUDENTS AND PERCEIVED PARENTAL REARING ATTITUDES

Using a written questionnaire we surveyed a sample population of 155 female students, and investigated the associations between mobile phone dependence and perceived parental rearing attitudes. Participants completed the Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire (MPDQ; Toda, Monden, Kubo, & Morimoto, 2004) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI; Parker, Tupling, & Brown, 1979). In relation to maternal rearing attitudes, analysis of responses revealed a statistically significant difference in MPDQ scores between respondents who fell in the categories for high care/high protection and low care/low protection. In relation to paternal rearing attitudes, no such difference was apparent. These findings suggest that the childhood relationship with the mother may be associated with mobile phone dependence. Furthermore, loneliness may contribute to this association.