The trait-state fear of missing out scale: Validity, reliability, and measurement invariance in a Chinese sample of university students

Abstract

Background: Research into the 'fear of missing out' (FoMO) has greatly increased in recent years. In Asia, many university students frequently use social networking sites (SNSs) via their smartphone. There has also been some studies examining problematic social media use, but there are few Chinese studies concerning FoMO. This may be partly due to the lack of standardized measurement tools for assessing FoMO. Therefore, the present study psychometrically validated the Chinese version of the Trait-State Fear of Missing Out Scale (T-SFoMOS-C) and tested its reliability, validity and measurement invariance among Chinese university students. Methods: A total of 2,017 university students (aged 17 to 25 years) completed an online survey including the Chinese Trait-State Fear of missing Out Scale (T-SFoMOS-C), the Social Network Site Intensity Scale (SNSIS), and the International Positive and Negative Affect Scale short-form (I-PANAS-SF).Results: Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis was carried out on the T-SFoMOS-C. Confirmatory factor analysis (χ 2 = 177.49, df = 50, p < .01; TLI = .959; CFI = .960; SRMR = .038; RMSEA = .050) and measurement invariance showed that the T-SFoMOS-C for university students had good construct validity among different groups. The internal consistency of the T-SFoMOS-C (.81), the test-retest reliability (.81), and the composite reliability of state-FoMO and trait-FoMO (.76 and .80) were also good. The T-SFoMOS-C was significantly correlated with the SNSIS (.40) and the Negative Affect (NA) (.26), respectively.

Social media usage of chinese nursing students: Attitudes, motivations, mental health problems, and self-disclosure

“…Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs). The Chinese version of this scale was implemented to measure students in China [24]. The FoMOs comprises 12 items with five ratings from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree).…”

“…For instance, one’s positive-presentation increased the level of online social anxiety [ 27 ]. FoMO is a form of social anxiety, acting as a predictor of online risk behaviors among adolescents [ 24 , 28 ]. FoMO enhances individuals’ need to stay connected and communicate with other people, leading to excess self-disclosure online.…”

“…People low in psychological distress disclose more positively and honest information [22]. Mental health problems concerning social media usage have become more prevalent mainly due to all-time access to online activities [23,24]. Myriad studies have found the problematic social media usage is typically accompanied by a shrinkage of the one's social circle, an increase in loneliness, depression, fear of missing out (FoMO), social media fatigue (SMF) and online addiction [24][25][26].…”

Adaptation of Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs) to Dentistry

“…In the Trait-State study conducted with 2017 students aged between 17 and 25, the internal consistency of FoMOS-C was found to be 0.81. 11…”

Data_Sheet_1.docx

“…The Trait-State Fear of Missing Out Scale (T-SFoMOS) was used to assess fear of missing out (56). The Chinese version of T-SFoMOS (T-SFoMOSC) has good reliability and validity (71). The T-SFoMOSC has 12 items and two dimensions, comprising trait-FoMO (e.g., "I get worried when I find out my friends are having fun without me") and state-FoMO [e.g., "When I have a good time it is important for me to share the details online (e.g., updating status)"], which is in line with the Wegmann's et al (56).…”