Addressing Mobile Phone Addiction Through Functional Analysis

Functional analysis is a psychological tool used to understand why people behave the way they do. It comes from behavioral psychology. Basically, functional analysis believes that all behavior is learned and serves some sort of purpose. This is true for both negative behaviors (like violence or self-harm) and positive behaviors (Sturmey, 2007; Cipani & Schock, 2010).

In a true functional analysis, therapists might change what happens before or after a behavior to see if it changes how often it happens. This is a kind of experiment that helps figure out what's causing the behavior. But, it can be tricky in secure environments because we always have to think about everyone's safety and well-being. Functional analysis is super useful but usually part of a bigger picture. It's central in behavior therapy, but the term itself can be a bit fuzzy with different meanings. This confusion has led to inconsistent use in clinical settings. This paper looks into the basics and key aspects of functional relationships to clear things up. The goal of Functional Analysis is to identify problematic thinking so that clients can learn new thoughts and feelings for a better response. It can take some time between the therapist and the client, but it’s worth it to gather all the necessary data about behavior or trauma. The focus is to show the important info about the client so it can be changed, leading to new, healthier behaviors. Through direct observation and manipulation, the therapist helps create a new, effective pattern that benefits the client's needs and wants.

This method works by paying close attention to the client's behavior. The counselor looks at how often it's displayed, what it includes, and how intense it is. There are certain triggers: people, events, objects, and activities. The trigger is identified first because it explains the behavior. The therapist will try to anticipate and prevent the response if possible. After identifying triggers, the therapist will discuss the consequences with the client so they understand the cause and effect. Some consequences can lead to learning a new behavior or create a new problem that affects their happiness. External factors can also affect responses and create consequences. The counselor will point these out so the client knows the impact on their body. If a client has trouble responding in some situations, it might not help if they're not getting enough sleep or eating well. These factors can promote negative behavior due to chemical imbalances. As the client learns about these factors, they realize they can control something to help prevent negative behavior.

The time it takes to conduct the Functional Analysis stage depends on the client's triggers and behavior. If they struggle to express themselves or react aggressively, it could take more sessions. Regardless, the focus is on the root cause of the behavior, helping the client learn new ways to process information and react to their environment. By the end of the treatment, the individual will have a consistent thought process contributing to their well-being and relationships. It’s important to feel in control of responses so we’re not acting involuntarily due to past events.

Functional Analysis is used when a client has behavior harmful to themselves. They might be confused about why they process info and respond the way they do. To change this behavior and improve relationships, it’s necessary to understand its function and cause. This is used when a patient truly wants to improve by acknowledging their trauma or issues and move forward to get rid of habitual thinking and doing. The 'triggers' behind their behavior must be changed before balance can be found.

Mobile Phone Addiction

Cell phones are always getting better, which makes it easier to overuse them and get addicted. PEW Research Center says 67% of smartphone owners check their phones for calls or messages even when it didn’t ring or vibrate. This is a big sign of phone dependence and should be a warning to phone owners.

A 2018 Pew Research Report showed that 45% of teens use the Internet “almost constantly,” and another 44% go online several times a day. According to this report, 50% of teenage girls are “near-constant” online users, compared to 39% of teenage boys. 95% of teens have access to a smartphone. Overuse of mobile phones leads to behavioral addiction. This shows up in everyday behavior. The symptoms of mobile phone addiction are summarized from various journal papers on the issue (Kiran, Sanjana, & Reddy, 2012). Excessive phone use among teens is so common that 33% of 13-year-olds never turn off their phones, day or night. And the younger a teen gets a phone, the more likely they are to develop bad use patterns.

For girls, dependent use patterns might develop because phones are important social tools, while boys tend to use phones in risky situations. Pew Research Center reports that 81% of Americans now own smartphones—up from just 35% in 2011. And, over the past 5 years, Google Trends shows that searches for “cell phone addiction” have been rising. But there’s some debate among experts about whether problematic phone use is truly an addiction or just an impulse control issue. Many experts are hesitant to call it “addiction” unless it involves substance misuse.

PROCEDURE

First, I thought about my disorganized or problematic behavior and gathered my thoughts about the behavior I want to change. Then I realized I have a phone addiction. I use my phone even when talking with family or friends, and even in class. After that, I made a list to analyze when and where I show this behavior and its circumstances. Then I made a chart of my problematic behavior to see how often I use my phone for one week. After that, I made another chart for one week where I tried to overcome the behavior. I observed my phone usage time and decided not to use my phone from 8 PM to 11 PM daily for one week.

Mobile Addiction

S.No Days Timings Behavior Frequency (minutes) Function Of That Behavior Consequences

1 Monday 8:00 pm to 11:00pm Excessive use of mobile phone at home. Wasting family time on phone watching videos and using other unimportant apps. 150 Wasting family time, not paying attention to family discussions, boredom, procrastination, less focus on studies. Bad effect on eyesight, thinking about nonsense stuff, wasting time on TikTok, laziness, bad mental health leading to tension.

Intervention Plan

Procedure:

I'm working on changing my undesirable behavior using functional analysis. For this, I made an intervention plan. I created a chart for one week to analyze my behavior. I decided not to use my phone between 7 PM to 11 PM for one week. During this time, I focused on spending time with my family and close friends. I engaged in activities with my family, like reading books, watching TV, and participating in discussions.

Results:

Mobile Addiction S.No Days Timings Behavior Frequency (Minutes) Function Of That Behavior Consequences

1 Monday 8:00 pm to 11:00pm Spend time with family and close friends. Participate in family discussions. Chat with my mom, cook, and help her. 120 minutes Enjoy family time, pay attention to discussions, stay active, feel mentally relaxed, more focus on studies. This time will help build stronger relationships with family and friends. Improve my mental health.

Discussion:

Functional analysis helped me a lot to reduce my undesirable behavior. It was quite challenging because using my phone was a strong habit. Through functional analysis, I realized how hard it was to stop using my phone so much, but I tried my best to overcome this habit. Negative behaviors are strong, and you have to work hard to reduce them, but if you’re committed, you can do it.

Conclusion:

Both undesirable and desirable behaviors can be dangerous if you’re addicted to them. You have to control yourself to avoid making any behavior an addiction because it can ruin your mental health. Not every undesirable behavior is dangerous, but if you’re addicted, it could be harmful to you and those close to you. Functional analysis is a tool that can help you stop undesirable behavior, and intervention plans will help you reduce those behaviors. After this activity, you won’t engage in that behavior again. It will help you succeed in life and achieve your goals.