Assessing Nomophobia: Validation Study of the European Portuguese Version of the Nomophobia Questionnaire

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ORIGINAL PAPER

Assessing Nomophobia: Validation Study of the European Portuguese Version of the Nomophobia Questionnaire Ana Galhardo1,2   · Daniela Loureiro1 · Elsa Raimundo1 · Ilda Massano‑Cardoso1,3,4   · Marina Cunha1,2  Received: 18 October 2019 / Accepted: 6 March 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract Nomophobia (no mobile phone phobia) can be defined as a situational phobia described by the fear of not having a smartphone available or being incapable of accessing the Internet. Based on these characteristics, the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) was designed, showing a four-factor structure and good psychometric characteristics. The current study intended to adapt the NMP-Q to European Portuguese (NMP-Q-PT) and test its factor structure and psychometric properties. Five hundred participants from the general population (convenience sampling) filled in the NMP-Q-PT, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Three models were tested through confirmatory factor analysis. One higher order factor (global nomophobia) with four lower order factors revealed a good fit to the data. The NMP-Q-PT presented excellent consistency, construct and discriminant validity, as well as good concurrent and divergent validities. Overall, the NMP-Q-PT showed to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring nomophobia. Keywords  Nomophobia · Assessment · Confirmatory factor analysis · Psychometric properties

Introduction Nomophobia (no mobile phone phobia) consists on the fear of being without a mobile phone, a smartphone or the Internet. The term nomophobia has been pointed as controversial, being related to a modern age phobia but also being indicated as the dependence on mobile phones (Dixit et al. 2010) or an addiction to these devices (Forgays et al. 2014). Additionally, nomophobia has also been described as a smartphone separation anxiety. Han et al. (2017) state that * Ana Galhardo [email protected] 1



Instituto Superior Miguel Torga, Largo da Cruz de Celas, nº1, 3000‑132 Coimbra, Portugal

2



CINEICC – Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention ‑ Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, 3000‑115 Coimbra, Portugal

3

Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Sta. Comba, Celas, 3000‑548 Coimbra, Portugal

4

CEISUC‑ Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, Av. Dr. Dias da Silva, 165, 3004‑512 Coimbra, Portugal



subjects that identify the smartphone as an extended self are more prone to get attached to it. King et al. (2014) define nomophobia as a set of behaviours or symptoms related to the use of mobile phones, stating that people presenting nomophobia show an irrational fear of being incapable of using their mobile device or being out of mobile phone contact, leading them to try to avoid the possibility of being unable to use it. Thus, nomophobia can be conceptualized as a situational modern age