Assessing the Two Sources of Construct-Relevant Psychometric Multidimensionality of the Nomophobia Questionnaire: The Integrated Framework of Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

The current study aimed at investigating the two sources of construct-relevant psychometric multidimensionality of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), applying the newly developed bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (B-ESEM) approach. We first contrasted several CFA and ESEM models to test the psychometric multidimensionality due to the fallibility of indicators. Then, we compared the first-order structures with those specifying both global and specific factors to test the coexistence of hierarchically ordered factors. Results from 469 participants to the 20-item questionnaire showed the superiority of a B-ESEM representation with a well-defined G-factor and four weaker S-factors. On a methodological level, our findings provide additional support for the utility of using B-ESEM’s integrative perspective to better capture the complexity of multidimensional constructs.