Predicting Nomophobia According to Mood Status and Anxiety Sensitivity: Analyzing the Moderating Role of Gender

The harmful smartphone use can negatively affect the various aspects of human life. The prevalence of a psychological phenomenon that known as nomophobia is one of the negative influences of it. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of mood status and anxiety sensitivity in predicting nomophobia with regard to the moderating role of gender.

The research methodology was descriptive correlational. The study participants were included 191 (94 girls and 97 boys) undergraduate  Semnan University students that were selected by available sampling method. The data were collected using Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3). Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data.

The results showed that both positive and negative affect, as well as, anxiety sensitivity, positively and significantly predicted nomophobia. Analysis of the moderating effects of gender role also revealed that only positive affect, in boys and negative affect in girls could predict nomophobia. Although anxiety sensitivity was a positive predictor of nomophobia in both groups, the predictor coefficient was higher in boys.

The results indicated mood and cognitive readiness for vulnerability to the nomophobia and the patterns of this vulnerability in female and male students were different.