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Original Research | Psychology | Volume 15 Issue 8, August 2026 | Pages: 1913 - 1915 | India
Social Media Addiction and Attention-Related Cognitive Errors Among Adults in Kerala
Abstract: The present study examined the relationship between social media addiction-related symptoms and attention-related cognitive errors among adults with a Kerala/Malayali background. A quantitative, descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional design was used. Convenience sampling was used to recruit Malayali adults aged 18-60 years who were currently using social media. Of 157 responses received through an online Google Forms questionnaire, 151 eligible responses were retained for the final analysis. Social media addiction-related symptoms were assessed using the six-item Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and everyday attention-related cognitive errors were assessed using the 12-item Attention-Related Cognitive Errors Scale (ARCES). Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, Spearman's rank-order correlation, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used as appropriate. The BSMAS demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .91), while the ARCES demonstrated very high internal consistency (α = .97). A strong positive and statistically significant association was found between BSMAS and ARCES scores (Spearman's ρ = .730, p < .001). Age was negatively associated with BSMAS scores (ρ = ?.359, p < .001) and ARCES scores (ρ = ?.306, p < .001). Women reported higher ARCES scores than men, whereas the gender difference in BSMAS scores was not significant. Daily social media use and duration of social media use showed significant differences in both outcomes. Current residence was not significantly associated with either major variable. The findings indicate an association between social media addiction-related symptoms and everyday attention-related cognitive errors in this sample; the cross-sectional design does not permit causal conclusions.
Keywords: social media addiction-related symptoms, attention-related cognitive errors, adults, Kerala, BSMAS, ARCES
How to Cite?: Malavika M., "Social Media Addiction and Attention-Related Cognitive Errors Among Adults in Kerala", Volume 15 Issue 8, August 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1913-1915, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26827164227, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26827164227