The Impact of Technostress on Impulsivity Among University Students: A Quantitative Study in the Pakistani Context.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of technostress on impulsivity among university students in Pakistan, focusing on demographic influences such as gender, age, education, and socioeconomic status. Conducted in two phases, the research aims to address the rising challenge of managing technostress in an increasingly digitalized academic environment. Phase I focused on developing a reliable Technostress scale. A systematic process was employed, including item generation, pilot testing, a try-out study, factor analysis, and reliability assessments. The finalized 40-item scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .93) and revealed a five-factor structure accounting for 51.07% of the variance. Phase II utilized a quantitative survey methodology, collecting data from 300 full-time students aged 18–25 at the International Islamic University Islamabad using the Technostress Scale and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Results indicated that while technostress levels were significantly higher among male students, there was no statistically significant correlation between technostress and impulsivity (r = -0.059, p > 0.05). Gender-based analysis revealed that males experienced higher technostress (M = 127.2, SD = 29.8) compared to females (M = 87.9, SD = 22.9) with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.47). Impulsivity scores showed minimal gender differences, with males and females reporting similar mean values. These findings suggest that while technostress is prevalent, its direct influence on impulsivity remains inconclusive. This study highlights the need for culturally tailored interventions to mitigate technostress among university students, particularly males. It also calls for further research on the technostress-impulsivity nexus. The findings offer practical recommendations to enhance students' well-being and academic performance in Pakistani university settings.