Gender as moderating factor shaping the influence of dispositional characteristics, socio-cultural context and personal belief on multitasking behaviour

Abstract

Factors associated with multi-tasking behaviour include dispositional characteristics, socio-cultural context and personal belief but are unconfirmed among adolescents. Confirming that polychronicity preferences and multitasking vary across gender. We seek to shed more light on how socio-demographic (age and socio-economic status) and dispositional (self-esteem and Locus of control) factors predicting multitasking behaviour will vary across the gender among Adolescents in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional design using 470 adolescents from 7 public secondary schools selected from the population of adolescents from the 5 Local Government Areas within the Abeokuta metropolis. Standardised questionnaire instruments were used to elicit data from the students. Data were analysed using multiple regression and path analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that age (β=.13; t = 3.99, p<.01), socio-economic status; (Middle – High (β=.40; t = 4.08, p<.01), Low – High (β=.48; t = 3.10, p<.01) and internal locus of control (β=.19, t= 4.24; p<.01) [F (5,469) = 8.86, R2 = .10; p < .01] predicted multitasking behaviour. Self-esteem full mediated the regression paths of age (initial β = -.10, p<.05, after β = -.08, p>.05), internal LOC (initial β = .19, p<.01, after β = .07, p>.05) to multitasking and partially the paths of socio - economic status (Middle – High (initial = β = .48, p<.01, after = β.14, p<.01), Low – High (initial β=.40 after β = .14, p<.01) associations with multi-tasking behaviour with a good fit (χ² (6) = 9.93; p = .13; GFI = .99; CFI = 1.00; SRMR = .04; RMSEA = .00[HI=.018-LO=.00]). Gender moderated the relationship between socio-demographic, psychological variables and multi-tasking behaviour (ΔX^² (11) = 36.1, p<.001) as the association among Age, selfesteem and locus of control with multitasking behaviour were shown to be significant for females while they were not for males. In addition, lower socioeconomic status and external LOC significantly predicted self-esteem for males but did not for females.It was concluded that adolescents’ socio-economic status, self-worth and internal locus were predictive of their multi-tasking ability for girls than the boys. Thus, confidence building training should be offered to adolescents in preparing them for future roles as productive workers and parents. Empowering female adole scents with multi-tasking skills will go a long way in enhancing their future role as a wife, mothers and in their professional endeavours.