Ibadan Journal of the Social Sciences
Volume 16, No. 1, 2018
DOI: 10.36108/ijss/8102.61.0110

Perceived Social Support and Social Media Addiction as Predictors of Tendency to Engage in Examination Misconduct among Undergraduates

Chidozie Emmanuel Mabia¹, Emeka A. Nwankwo², Michael C. Anyaegbune³, Kizto Ifunanya Okonkwo⁴ and Paschal Kandilichukwu Officha⁵

^{1,2,3,4,5Department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria}

Abstract

One of the assumptions of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is that external factors (subjective norms) may shape individual behavioural intentions. Based on this assumption, this study was carried out to find if perceived social support and social media addiction predict tendency to engage in examination misconduct. One hundred and eighty (180) participants comprising 112 females and 62 males, aged between 18-40 years with a mean age of 22.77 years and standard deviation of 3.61 were involved in the study. These participants were undergraduates from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Three instruments were used in the study. They include: Examination Malpractice Questionnaire (EMQ), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS). Two investigations were made in the study using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The first investigation led to the findings that social support (family, friends and significant others) jointly predicted tendency to engage in examination misconduct positively and significantly, ß (3, 175) = .107**. The first findings revealed also that friends’ social support predicted tendency to engage in examination misconduct negatively and significantly, ß = -.253* while significant others’ social support predicted tendency to engage in examination misconduct positively and significantly, ß = .416**. It was also revealed that family social support predicted tendency to engage in examination misconduct negatively but not significantly, ß = -.047. The second investigation led to the findings that social media addiction significantly predicted tendency to engage in examination misconduct, ß (1, 174) = .048*. This indicated that social support and social media addiction predicted tendency to engage in examination misconduct. The findings may have implications for planning, understanding and designing programs for prevention of examination malpractice. It was recommended that school management should institute workshops and symposium each semester on perceived social support and social media addiction with respect to examination misconduct.
Keywords: Tendency to engage in examination misconduct, perceived social support, social media addiction

 

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