The Effect of Emotion Dysregulation, Affect, Boredom, and Social Context on State Nomophobia among University Students: An Experience Sampling Study (State Nomophobia)

Abstract

This study aimed to examine whether state-based psychological constructs (emotion dysregulation, positiveaffect, negative affect, boredom, satisfaction with the social context) and trait-based psychological constructs(nomophobia, emotion dysregulation, positive affect, negative affect, boredom proneness) predict statenomophobia. This study also examined the variation of daily nomophobia scores during the week and thedifference between nomophobic and non-nomophobic individuals. The experience sampling method was usedbecause it allows simultaneous evaluation of the internal and situational determinants of the research variablesas the data are collected within the real-world context. Two groups were used (non-nomophobia/nomophobia;N= 42). Data were collected from university students using standard measurement tools and momentaryassessments for a week via the PIEL Survey smartphone application. In this 2-level study, the level 1 analysiswas based on 1679 observations and the level 2 analysis was based on 42 observations. The random interceptand slope model and the growth curve model were used. The results showed that state-based psychologicalconstructs predicted state nomophobia, but trait-based psychological constructs failed to predict it (except traitnomophobia). Daily nomophobia scores decreased throughout the week. The decrease in the nomophobiagroup was slower, and their daily scores were higher than those in the non-nomophobia group. The findingssuggest that momentary assessments should be used to make inferences about the determinants of statenomophobia experienced in daily life. As far as is known, there has been no experience sampling studyexamining state nomophobia. Determining the factors that may cause nomophobia may provide scientificinsight into the content of programs developed for the prevention and treatment of nomophobia. An in-depthinvestigation of nomophobia using momentary assessments along with retrospective assessments may providea more holistic understanding of nomophobia and a new perspective for future nomophobia studies