Exploring the Dimensions of Smartphone Distraction: Development, Validation, Measurement Invariance, and Latent Mean Differences of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS)

Abstract

Background: Distraction is a functional emotion regulation strategy utilized to relieve emotional distress. Within the attention economy perspective, distraction is increasingly associated with digital technology use, performance impairments and interference with higher-order cognitive processes. Research on smartphone distraction and its association with problematic smartphone use is still scarce and there is no available psychometric assessment tool to assess this cognitive and emotive process parsimoniously.Method: The present study reports the development and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS) through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity, gender invariance, and latent mean differences. The study was conducted in a sample of British university students (N = 1,001; M = 21.10 years, SD = 2.77).Results: The 16-item SDS was best conceptualized in a four-factor model solution comprising attention impulsiveness, online vigilance, emotion regulation, and multitasking. Construct validity was established using relevant psychosocial and mental health measures, with SDS scores being moderately associated with deficient self-regulation and problematic social media use. Gender measurement invariance was achieved at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, and latent mean differences indicated that females had significantly higher means than males across all four SDS latent factors.Discussion: The SDS presents with several strengths, including its theoretical grounding, relatively short length, and sound psychometric properties. The SDS enables the assessment of distraction, which appears to be one of the pathways to problematic smartphone use facilitating overuse and overreliance on smartphones for emotion regulation processes. The assessment of distraction in relation to problematic use in vulnerable populations may facilitate interventions that could encourage metacognition and benefit these groups by allowing sustained productivity in an increasingly disrupted work and social environment.

Social Media and Distraction: An Experience Sampling Study among Adolescents

“…More specifically, if the heterogeneity of the person-specific associations between SMU and distraction is stable, the heterogeneity may be explained by factors that are also relatively stable over time. In this case, trait-like characteristics, such as gender (Throuvala et al, 2021), trait levels of fear of missing out (Franchina, Vanden Abeele, van Rooij, Lo Coco, & De Marez, 2018), parental control (Fardouly, Magson, Johnco, Oar, & Rapee, 2018), or proactive self-control strategies (Brevers & Turel, 2019) are likely to moderate the effects of social media use on distraction. Conversely, if the heterogeneity appears to be unstable across time, it is more likely that the heterogeneity in person-specific associations is explained by situational factors, such as mindfulness (Chin et al, 2020), exhaustion (Reinecke & Hofmann, 2016), sleep quality (Baumeister, Wright, & Carreon, 2019;Roca et al, 2012), or other factors that may fluctuate across different weeks, months, or years.…”

Modelling the contribution of metacognitions and expectancies to problematic smartphone use

“…A subsequent study by supported the role of positive metacognitions about the usefulness of smartphone to control emotion and cognition and to help in socializing, and negative metacognitions about uncontrollability and cognitive harm of smartphone use in predicting PSU beyond anxiety and depression. Recently, Throuvala et al (2021) highlighted moderate correlations between smartphone distraction (i.e., the use of the smartphone as an emotion regulation coping strategy) and both positive and negative metacognitions about the social use of the smartphone (i.e., reflective beliefs related to cognitive and emotional responses to social media use, and the difficulty in controlling social media use, respectively).…”

“…In view of the metacognitive model of addictive behaviors and previous studies on metacognitions in PSU Casale et al, 2020;Throuvala et al, 2021), we believe that additional research is required that may contribute to our understanding of the relative contribution of metacognitions about smartphone use to PSU.…”

Policy Recommendations for Preventing Problematic Internet Use in Schools: A Qualitative Study of Parental Perspectives

“…Distraction from devices, a growing area of concern, was a key area in parental narratives consistent with literature [129]. Distractibility has been associated with decreased academic performance, lower enjoyment in social situations, and diminished memory for experiences [130][131][132][133][134][135].…”