Studying Links between Smartphone Addiction and Traffic Accidents

Research

“Smartphone Addiction and Traffic Accidents: the Moderating Role of Texting While Driving”
Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, June 2022

Researchers

Associate Professor Samantha R. Rosenthal, Ph.D., MPH
Izabelle Wensley ’22
Diorcalix Perez '21
Kelsey A. Gately '23

Project Objective

Izabelle Wensley ’22, Diorcalix Perez ’21, and Kelsey Gately ’23 contributed to a study led by Samantha Rosenthal when they were students in JWU’s Public Health, Health Science, and Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program, respectively. The study worked to understand the role of smartphone addiction, texting while driving, and the risk for traffic accidents among college students in the United States.

Project Goals & Skills

Rosenthal, Gately, Perez and Wensley recruited individuals 18 years or older currently enrolled in higher education to complete the survey. The survey asked about smartphone habits, driving habits, ADHD, insomnia, and emotional and physical well-being. They later published their findings in the peer-reviewed Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science.

“This work has fundamentally altered my career path and continues to shape my approach to clinical practice….”

Results & Future Implications

Results suggest that smartphone addiction is a prominent issue among US college students. Texting while driving was noted at severely high levels of frequency. 

Findings suggest that there is a need for interventions related to smartphone addiction, and further investigation needs to be done regarding how to help college students develop healthier relationships with their smartphones to avoid injury.

The Benefits of Working on Research

Gately noted that her time as a Graduate Health Equity Fellow working with the Undergraduate Research Center was a meaningful experience: “I’ve had countless opportunities to be involved in research that is deeply meaningful to me. This work has fundamentally altered my career path and continues to shape my approach to clinical practice as a future occupational therapist.”

Gately is now a Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow at JWU Providence’s College of Health & Wellness.

_{Top inset: Kelsey Gately graduated from JWU’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in 2023. Bottom inset: Izabelle Wensley graduated from JWU’s Public Health program in 2022.}

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