Thesis-1988-Shotton.pdf (17.01 MB)
An exploratory study of computer dependency
thesis
posted on 2012-12-14, 12:13 authored by Margaret A. ShottonThis research was initiated to investigate the syndrome of computer
dependency, and to ascertain whether there was any foundation to the
apocryphal stories which suggested that 'obsessive' dependency by some
people upon computers and computing was detrimental to their psychological
and social development.
National publicity brought forth volunteers who considered themselves
to be dependent upon computers. As a group they did not form a cross-section
of the general population but consisted in the main of very well educated,
adult males. (An additional study showed that there were
distinct differences between the sexes in attitudes held towards computers
to account for this lack of balance). As the computer dependent
individuals were unrepresentative of the general population, control
groups were established with whom comparisons could be made, matched with
them on the criteria of sex, age and highest educational level. One
control group was formed from computer owners who were not computer
dependent and the other from people Who did not own a computer. Thus
three groups were studied; a computer dependent group and two controls.
The results established that the two computer-owning groups differed
significantly from each other in their preferred computing activities,
both quantitatively and qualitatively. As anticipated, the computer
dependent individuals spent significantly more time computing than the
others, but they were also found to use computers in a more exploratory
and self-educational manner, rarely having a definite end-product in mind.
All three groups were found to have enjoyed different types of
hobbies throughout their lives. The computer dependent group had shown
interests in technological and scientific artefacts before school age and
rarely partook of either the social or physical activities of interest to
the control groups. The dependent group had found in the computer the
ultimate hobby; one which was constantly stimulating and exciting and
which matched their psychological needs.
Investigation of the social and psychological issues suggested that
the group of computer dependent people had experienced different types of
parenting from the control groups, leading them to become object- rather
than people-centred at an early age. This bias had been perpetuated
throughout life, leaving them shy and unable to form satisfactory
relationships; they neither trusted humans nor needed them in many cases.
Their lives had become dominated by task- and object-related activities,
with the computer offering them a controllable form of interaction Which
they had been unable to find elsewhere.
Deleterious effects occurred within some marriages Where one spouse
had become computer dependent, but only en very rare occasions did
individuals express distress about their dependency. Tb the contrary,
the positive benefits gained by their use of computers far outweighed any
disadvantages. The research disproved the hypothesis that computer
dependency was in general detrimental to the individuals' social and
psychological development, and suggested that computer dependency was in
fact therapeutic by providing an outlet for their high levels of
curiosity and originality. Computing had brought them intellectual
stimulation rarely found when interacting with the majority of humans and had provided a level of fulfilment to which many would aspire.
History
School
- Design
Publisher
© Margaret A. ShottonPublication date
1988Notes
A Doctoral Thesis. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.Language
- en