The paradox of phone attachment: Development and validation of the Young Adult Attachment to Phone Scale (YAPS). (November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Trub, Leora; Barbot, Baptiste
• Is Part Of: Computers in human behavior. Volume 64(2016)
• Page Start: 663
• Page End: 672
• Publication Date: 2016-11
• Subjects: Attachment theory -- Smartphone attachment -- Phone addiction -- Technology -- Smartphone measure; Interactive computer systems -- Periodicals; Man-machine systems -- Periodicals; 004.019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.050
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0747-5632

Abstract

Abstract: Accurate evaluation of people's attachment to phones is crucial to understanding the impact of phone use in everyday life. The Young Adult Attachment to Phone Scale (YAPS) is a concise instrument, representing the first multi-dimensional measure of phone attachment. After item development involving focus groups with young adults and content validity analysis from attachment experts, a preliminary version of the YAPS was administered to 955 participants ages 18–29. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a 2-dimension structure: Refuge, characterized by feeling safe with the phone and uncomfortable upon separation; and Burden, characterized by relief upon separation from the phone and the perception that it diminishes enjoyment of a given moment. Findings reflect the strong psychometric properties of the YAPS, including reliability, factorial validity and criterion validity with relevant constructs. The YAPS appears promising for future research aimed at understanding the nature of attachment to phones in human behavior. Highlights: Paradoxical attachment to phones might manifest as attachment anxiety and avoidance. Attachment to Phone Scale (APS) is proposed as a short, concise instrument. Refuge factor corresponds to attachment anxiety, Burden to attachment avoidance. Refuge involves feeling safe with the phone and uncomfortable upon separation. Burden involves feeling pressured by phone and relief upon separation from it.