Development of a Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale for Turkish Adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale (PMPUS) for Turkish Adolescents. The psychometric properties of PMPUS were tested in two separate sample groups that consisted of 950 Turkish high school students. The first sample group (n=309) was used to determine the factor structure of the scale. The second sample group (n=461) was used to test data conformity with the identified structure, discriminant validity and concurrent scale validity, internal consistency reliability calculations, and item statistics calculations. The results of exploratory factor analyses indicated that the scale had three factors: interference with negative effect, compulsion/persistence, and withdrawal/tolerance. The results showed that item and construct reliability values yielded satisfactory rates in general for the three-factor construct. On the other hand, the average variance extracted value remained below the scale value for three subscales. The scores for the scale significantly correlated with depression and loneliness. In addition, the discriminant validity value was above the scale in all sub-dimensions except one. Based on these data, the reliability of the PMPUS scale appears to be satisfactory and provides good internal consistency. Therefore, with limited exception, the PMPUS was found to be reliable and valid in the context of Turkish adolescents.

Prevalence of Problematic Mobile Phone Use in British Adolescents

“…Several researchers [2][3][4]10,11 have suggested that MPPU seems to be affecting an increasing number of adolescents and young adults, who dedicate more and more time and attention to using these devices. What remains unclear, however, is the relative use of the many features for which modern mobile phones can be used [11][12][13] (e.g., playing games, e-mailing, surfing the web, gambling, listening to music, watching videos, sending real-time chat messages, etc.…”

“…15 Those that are available have involved quite disparate conceptual language to describe the problem, such as dependence, 16 problem use, 1,10,15,17,18 excessive use or overuse, 14,19,20 addictive use, 12,21 or experiences related with mobile phone use 22 or mobile phone involvement. 23 On the whole, the estimated levels of MPPU range from 0% to 38%.…”

“…25 However, very few epidemiological studies have been conducted that focus on adolescents' MPPU, despite the fact that this population would seem to be most at risk, due to the poor impulse control that characterizes this developmental stage, as well as the increasing use of mobile phones as a device for the self-management of emotions, social and family life, and social status. 30 Several studies have been conducted in countries such as Thailand, 31 China, 12,21 Korea, 19 Turkey, 10,17 Spain, 15,20,22,32 Italy, 33 and Australia. 23 The estimated prevalence of MPPU in adolescence ranges between 5.57% 22 and 33%.…”

Üniversite öğrencileri için Problemli Cep Telefonu Kullanım Ölçeği’nin geliştirilmesi: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik analizleri

“…Even though according to the above-mentioned TUIK, mobile telephone use in Turkey is very high, there are only recent and few studies regarding the problematic use of mobile phones (5,9,(13)(14)(15)(16)(26)(27)(28)(29). For problematic mobile phone use in Turkey, we can find two adapted instruments (26,28) and one scale developed for adolescents (29).…”

“…For problematic mobile phone use in Turkey, we can find two adapted instruments (26,28) and one scale developed for adolescents (29). However, there is no study developing (rather than adapting) an instrument for university students.…”