Psychological Predictors of Problem Mobile Phone Use

Abstract

Mobile phone use is banned or illegal under certain circumstances and in some jurisdictions. Nevertheless, some people still use their mobile phones despite recognized safety concerns, legislation, and informal bans. Drawing potential predictors from the addiction literature, this study sought to predict usage and, specifically, problematic mobile phone use from extraversion, self-esteem, neuroticism, gender, and age. To measure problem use, the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale was devised and validated as a reliable self-report instrument, against the Addiction Potential Scale and overall mobile phone usage levels. Problem use was a function of age, extraversion, and low self-esteem, but not neuroticism. As extraverts are more likely to take risks, and young drivers feature prominently in automobile accidents, this study supports community concerns about mobile phone use, and identifies groups that should be targeted in any intervention campaigns.

Problematic mobile phone use of Swiss adolescents: is it linked with mental health or behaviour?

“…The first three pathways describe a link of problematic mobile phone use and personality traits found in previous studies (Augner and Hacker 2012;Bianchi and Phillips 2005;Takao et al 2009). The cyber addiction pathway is related to and inspired by research about problematic internet use, since nowadays most adolescents own a smartphone and therefore have internet access on their mobile phone.…”

“…We used a shortened 10-item version (MPPUS-10 (Foerster et al 2015); Table S1 in Electronic Supplementary Material) of the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS), which addresses different issues of problematic mobile phone use by means of a 27-item questionnaire (Bianchi and Phillips 2005). The five factors covered by the MPPUS-10 are loss of control, withdrawal, negative life consequences, craving and peer dependence.…”

“…In this study problematic mobile phone use was more common among women than men. In an Australian survey of 195 adults, prevalence of problematic mobile phone use was not different between men and women, but also related to increased extraversion and low self-esteem (Bianchi and Phillips 2005). In a cross-sectional study including more than 10,000 Taiwanese adolescents, depressive symptoms were related to problematic mobile phone use (Yen et al 2009).…”

“…Along that line, Bianchi and Phillips (2005) have introduced a 27-item Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale to measure problematic use. The scale addresses different aspects of addiction such as tolerance, escape from other problems, withdrawal, craving and negative life consequences.…”

Problematic mobile phone use in adolescents: derivation of a short scale MPPUS-10

“…Bianchi and Phillips have introduced a 27-item Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (in the following referred to as MPPUS-27)which addresses different aspects of addiction (Bianchi and Phillips 2005). Particularly, the aspects of Tolerance,…”