Background: The short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV) is widely used to measure problematic smartphone use. This study examined the validity and reliability of SAS-SV among Japanese adults, as well as cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with relevant mental health traits and problems. Methods: Datasets from a larger project on smartphone use and mental health were used to conduct three studies. Participants were adults aged over 20 years and carrying a smartphone. Results: Study 1 (n = 99,156) showed acceptable internal consistency and structural validity of SAS-SV with a bifactor model with three factors. Study 2 (n = 20,389) also showed the test-retest reliability of SAS-SV. The intraclass correlation coefficient was .70, 95% CI[.69, 70], when SAS-SV was measured seven and twelve months apart. Study 3 (n = 3,419) revealed that SAS-SV was strongly positively correlated with another measure of problematic smartphone use and moderately correlated with smartphone use time, problematic internet use, depression, the attentional factor of impulsiveness, and symptoms related to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder when measured concurrently. SAS-SV was positively and strongly associated with another measure of PSU and problematic internet use and moderately associated with depression when measured twelve months apart. Discussion: The structural validity of SAS-SV appeared acceptable among Japanese adults. The reliability of SAS-SV was demonstrated in the subsequent seven- and twelve-month association. The cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of SAS-SV provided further evidence regarding the characteristics of PSU.

Scientists write research articles, process ethics reviews, evaluate proposals and research, and seek funding. Several strategies have been proposed to optimize these operations and to decentralize access to research resources and opportunities. For instance, we previously proposed the trinity review method, combining registered reports with financing and research ethics assessments. However, previously proposed systems have a number of shortcomings, including how to implement them, e.g., who manages them, how incentives for reviewers are paid, etc. Various solutions have been proposed to address these issues, employing decentralized science (DeSci) in an independent organization built on the blockchain. Decentralized approaches that exploit these developments offer potentially profound improvements to the troubled scientific ecosystem. Here, we propose a system that integrates ethics reviews, peer reviews, and funding in a decentralized manner, based on Web3 technology. This new method, named ABCDEF publishing, would enhance the speed, fairness, and transparency of scientific research and publishing.

Scientists write research articles, process ethics reviews, evaluate proposals and research, and seek funding. Several strategies have been proposed to optimize these operations and to decentralize access to research resources and opportunities. For instance, we previously proposed the trinity review method, combining registered reports with financing and research ethics assessments. However, previously proposed systems have a number of shortcomings, including how to implement them, e.g., who manages them, how incentives for reviewers are paid, etc. Various solutions have been proposed to address these issues, employing methods based on blockchain technologies, called “decentralized science (DeSci)”. Decentralized approaches that exploit these developments offer potentially profound improvements to the troubled scientific ecosystem. Here, we propose a system that integrates ethics reviews, peer reviews, and funding in a decentralized manner, based on Web3 technology. This new method, named ABCDEF publishing, would enhance the speed, fairness, and transparency of scientific research and publishing.