Obsessive Compulsive Tendencies as Predictors of Dangerous Mobile Phone Usage

Recent attention to dangerous mobile phone use (MPU) has drawn concerns on how we can reduce use in situations such as driving. The National Safety Council estimates 1.6 million, roughly 28%, of vehicle accidents a year are related to MPU while driving. Much of the research has investigated dangerous use through an addiction perspective; however, if the underlying motivation is more similar to obsessive compulsive checking then the resulting interventions may be different. We investigate the dangerous and compulsive MPU through the lens of obsessive compulsive checkers by examining responsibility and compulsive checking on dangerous MPU. We test and support our model with a PLS analysis of 432 respondents. Findings provide evidence of an emerging perspective of MPU as well as insights into the recent lack of success in legislation to reduce dangerous MPU while driving.