The Influence of Personality-Associated Factors on Phone Dependency
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Authors
Blake, Colleen
Hiller, Sarah
Brantley, Darius
Halbert, Charlotte
Date of Issue
2025-04-25
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Subject Keywords
Other Titles
Abstract
In the field of behavioral psychology, impulsivity and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) have been associated with smartphone dependence, with potential differences in behaviors between genders. Previous studies on phone usage have measured phone dependence by the user’s screen time. This study varies by looking at both screen time and phone pickups. The study was conducted out of curiosity to see if there is another association between these factors and phone pickups. Phone pickups are tracked every time the user picks up and opens their phone. Previous studies suggest impulsivity is linked to quick responses to stimuli without thinking, while FOMO relates to the need for social gratification (Moeller et al., 2001; Saibaba, 2022). There is limited to no current research on the newer feature of phones that allows the user to track their pick-up rates. The current study examines correlations between impulsivity, FOMO, and phone dependence, with additional analysis of gender differences. Participants (n=70), recruited from Carroll College psychology courses, completed the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), FOMO Scale (FoMOs), and Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Additionally, data on the weekly average amount of phone pickups and screen time were collected from each participant, offering insights into the impact of smartphone usage. The hypotheses of this study predict that frequent phone pickups correlate with higher impulsivity, smartphone addiction, and FOMO scores, with men scoring higher on impulsivity and women scoring higher on FOMO. Results suggest FOMO scores are positively correlated with phone pickup scores. Additionally, women had a higher number of phone pickups on average compared to men. Otherwise, results on the correlation between pickups and impulsivity, plus pickups and smartphone addiction, were not statistically significant. These findings lead psychologists to continue in the pursuit of knowledge about behaviors that cause high levels of phone usage per day amongst smartphone users.