Validation of a Spanish Questionnaire on Mobile Phone Abuse

The Italian version of the mobile phone problematic use scale for adults (MPPUS): A validation study

The Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS) is a self-report measure developed to identify the problematic use of mobile phones (PSU) among adults. The purpose of this study was to create an Italian version of this scale. A sample of 568 Italian adults completed the MPPUS, presented in association with another validated scale for the assessment of smartphone addiction. We carried out exploratory factor analyses on the MPPUS. Findings emphasised that the Italian version of the MPPUS fits a bi-factor model, in which the general factor 'PSU' was found, including two additional specific factors (i.e., 'Withdrawal and social aspects' and 'Craving and escape from other problems'). The MPPUS was correlated with the Smartphone Addiction Scale short version. With respect to criterion-oriented validity, the MMPUS was also evaluated in relation to socio-demographic variables (i.e., age and gender). The internal consistency and temporal stability of the scales (test-retest assessment after three months) were confirmed.

Predictive factors of problematic smartphone use in young Spanish university students

Smartphones have evolved from being a helpful tool in our days to be an indispensable complement. Its presence in our daily lives has grown to reach a problematic use on occasions. This fact is even more remarkable when we speak of young adults and adolescents, in which problematic situations can be identified as derived from its use. In this study, we analyze the self-perception of 409 young adults pursuing an Education university degree on the use and consumption of the smartphone via their responses to the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale. The results show that, despite not perceiving the use of the mobile phone as problematic, some of the behaviors described by them as habitual would imply inappropriate use of the smartphone. Some outlined by the sample included mitigating loneliness, fear of isolation, or using it to feel better. Surprisingly, these are not recognized as problematic, despite being some of the most apparent indicators of misuse. The analysis of the results shows how younger populations and, mainly women, present this type of worrying and unconscious behavior. However, the increasing use of these devices within training areas offer new options to favor its proper use, mitigating the possible adverse effects of its use.

Variable selection in Propensity Score Adjustment to mitigate selection bias in online surveys

The development of new survey data collection methods such as online surveys has been particularly advantageous for social studies in terms of reduced costs, immediacy and enhanced questionnaire possibilities. However, many such methods are strongly affected by selection bias, leading to unreliable estimates. Calibration and Propensity Score Adjustment (PSA) have been proposed as methods to remove selection bias in online nonprobability surveys. Calibration requires population totals to be known for the auxiliary variables used in the procedure, while PSA estimates the volunteering propensity of an individual using predictive modelling. The variables included in these models must be carefully selected in order to maximise the accuracy of the final estimates. This study presents an application, using synthetic and real data, of variable selection techniques developed for knowledge discovery in data to choose the best subset of variables for propensity estimation. We also compare the performance of PSA using different classification algorithms, after which calibration is applied. We also present an application of this methodology in a real-world situation, using it to obtain estimates of population parameters. The results obtained show that variable selection using appropriate methods can provide less biased and more efficient estimates than using all available covariates.

Psychometric Properties of Mobile Phone Abuse (MPA): Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Student Mobile Users

Objective: Smartphone is an important technology device in our lifestyle. It has an important part of our daily lives, but it also has a negative effect, such as cell phone dependency. This research aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of mobile phone abuse (MPA) in the Iranian population. Method: In this study, data were chosen from 1100 participants who were studying in Tehran universities. The principal version of the scale was translated into Persian using the back translation method. All attendees completed Demographic Questionnaire, MPA Questionnaire, and Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS). Eventually, a clinical interview (based on the fifth version of DSM) was done for all the participants. For data analysis, internal and external consistency, factor analysis, construct validity and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used. Statistically, less than 0.05 were considered to be ‎ significant.‎ Results: According to expert judgments, content validity index was satisfactory. Furthermore, the reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed with Cronbach's α of 0.90 and test-retest reliability of 0.56 after 3 weeks. The best cutoff point for this questionnaire (MPA) was 46. Also, 4 factors were extracted by principal components method and varimax rotation: "excessive use of cell phone," "addictive use of social networks," "mood modification," and "preoccupation" for both male and female students. Conclusion: MPA could be used in studies on the evaluation of mobile phone addiction. This can be a stepping stone towards the identification of problems and improvement of students' mobile phone abuse.

Problematic Relationships with Smartphones of Spanish and Colombian University Students

The presence of smartphones in the lives of the population in general, and of youth in particular, is evident, and is derived from elements such as the diversity of prices as well as the ease of access of all the resources that can be reached through the internet. With the use of a descriptive approach using a quantitative poll, the objective of the present study was to discover the opinions of university students in Spain and Colombia about smartphone use, as well as the consequences of its use, and if this use could derive into so-called problematic smartphone use (PSU). For gathering the information, the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUSA) was utilized, with a sample size n = 4009. The main result reached was that the model obtained is structured around six factors that determined the elements in light of PSU. The initial conclusion found was that the model applied can be utilized with Colombian students, with young Spanish women and students in the macro area of Social Sciences, the ones who had problematic behavior with the devices, as compared to the Health Sciences students who did not have it.

Problematic Mobile Phone and Smartphone Use Scales: A Systematic Review

The popularity of smartphones is undeniable in nearly all facets of society. Despite the many benefits attributed to the technology, concern has grown over the potential for excessive smartphone use to become problematic in nature. Due to the growing concerns surrounding the recognized and unrecognized implications of smartphone use, great efforts have been made through research to evaluate, label and identify problematic smartphone use mostly through the development and administration of scales assessing the behavior. This study examines 78 existing validated scales that have been developed over the past 13 years to measure, identify or characterize excessive or problematic smartphone use by evaluating their theoretical foundations and their psychometric properties. Our review determined that, despite an abundance of self-report scales examining the construct, many published scales lack sufficient internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Additionally, there is a lack of research supporting the theoretical foundation of many of the scales evaluated. Future research is needed to better characterize problematic smartphone use so that assessment tools can be more efficiently developed to evaluate the behavior in order to avoid the excessive publication of seemingly redundant assessment tools.

Adaptation and Validation of the Polish Version of the 10-Item Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale

Pathological use of smartphones may be the biggest non-drug addiction of the 21st century. Therefore, rapid screening tools designed for easy identification of people with problematic mobile phone use are needed. The main aim of the present study was to validate a short version of the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS-10) in the Polish population. The study comprised 640 university students aged 18-38 years. We used a self-report questionnaire that included questions regarding socio-demographic variables and Polish versions of the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-10), Mobile Phone Addiction Assessment Questionnaire (MPAAQ in Polish KBUTK), and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Kimberly Young. The analysis showed high reliability for the final Polish version of MPPUS-10 (Cronbach's α = 0.78) and confirmed a significant correlation between the MPPUS-10 and the MPAAQ, which was previously used in Poland (rho = 0.56; p < 0.001). Due to the poor correlation of item number 10 with other items, we suggest dropping this item and using the nine-item Polish version. Our result also confirmed significant correlation between the MPPUS-10 and the IAT (rho = 0.54; p < 0.001). The contribution of the study is the Polish validation and adaptation of the MPPUS-10 scale with confirmed psychometric values. It provides a quick and convenient screening tool to assess problematic mobile phone use. Our results also indicate the need for a revision of available diagnostic tools in Poland.

Problematic Use of Mobile Phones in Australia…Is It Getting Worse?

Rapid technological innovations over the past few years have led to dramatic changes in today's mobile phone technology. While such changes can improve the quality of life of its users, problematic mobile phone use can result in its users experiencing a range of negative outcomes such as anxiety or, in some cases, engagement in unsafe behaviors with serious health and safety implications such as mobile phone distracted driving. The aims of the present study are two-fold. First, this study investigated the current problem mobile phone use in Australia and its potential implications for road safety. Second, based on the changing nature and pervasiveness of mobile phones in Australian society, this study compared data from 2005 with data collected in 2018 to identify trends in problem mobile phone use in Australia. As predicted, the results demonstrated that problem mobile phone use in Australia increased from the first data collected in 2005. In addition, meaningful differences were found between gender and age groups in this study, with females and users in the 18-25 year-old age group showing higher mean Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS) scores. Additionally, problematic mobile phone use was linked with mobile phone use while driving. Specifically, participants who reported high levels of problem mobile phone use, also reported handheld and hands-free mobile phone use while driving.