Al-Hikmah University Journal

In order to combat the threat of internet addiction among university freshmen, motivational

enhancement is essential. Internet addiction has negative multiplier effect on students overall

well-being. Thus, the rate at which undergraduates of institutions of higher learning become

addicted to the Internet has become alarming and the menace needs prompt attention before it

goes awry. The study, therefore, examines the relationship between motivational enhancement

and internet addiction among undergraduates of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

The study used a descriptive research design of correlational type. The population of the study

was made up of all undergraduates(15,533) of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Krejcie and Morgan (1970) determination of sample size table was used to select 377 students

across two faculties (Education and Art). The Internet addiction test, developed by Young (2016)

was adopted and the motivational enhancement questionnaire of Herman (1970) was adapted as

the study instrument. Using the Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Statistics, three research

hypotheses were developed and put to the test. The study's conclusions demonstrated a strong

correlation between Internet addiction and motivational enhancement in University of Ibadan

undergraduate students in Oyo State, Nigeria. Considering the study's conclusions, it was

recommended among others that undergraduates should be properly guided on the efficacy of

using the internet for educative purposes. Also, motivational strategies for undergraduates

should be devoid of gender bias and the institutions’ counsellors should properly guide the

students on strategies to adopt for the proper usage of the internet in an attempt to enhance their

academic performance.