This document summarizes a study examining how Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) predicts compulsive mobile phone use in social situations. The study measured FoMO, frequency of phone checking, habitual checking behavior, and problematic mobile phone use when alone and in company. Regression analysis found FoMO was a strong predictor of problematic phone use for both men and women. FoMO led to higher levels of problematic use, though the effect was stronger for men. The study suggests FoMO and social norms both influence how often people check their phones in social situations.

1. How to explain “phubbing”
Can “Fear of Missing Out” predict the
compulsive use of mobile phones in
social situations?
C. Bosau & M. Kühn

2. 2
Quelle: http://www.ithinkonpaper.com/fom o/

3. 3
Quelle: http://healthmeup.com/phot ogallery-­ healt hy-­liv ing/could-­y ou-­be-­s uffer ing-­from-­fear-­ of-­m issing-­out-­fomo/ 32443/3

4. 4
Quelle: http://www.examiner.c om/ artic le/c hecking-­fac ebook-­ and-­twitter-­ all-­ day -­scientists-­s ay-­ you-­m ay-­ have-­f om o

5. 5
Quelle: http://www.buzzly.fr/jq/ckedit or/plugins/doks oft_uploader/ us erfiles/phubbing2.jpg
Quelle: https://timenerdworld.files. wor dpress.com/2013/08/phubbing.jpg?w=600
Quelle: http://www.buzzly.fr/jq/ckedit or/plugins/ dok soft_uploader/us erfiles/ phubbing.jpeg

6. 6
Quelle: http://blog.vodafone.de/wp-­c ont ent/uploads/ 2014/12/stop-­phubbing-­ campaign.jpg

7. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing” 7
Quelle: http://www.jwtintelligence.com
Only recently, the discussion about
this new phenomenon started
(JWT, 2011 & 2012;; Przybylski,
Murayama, DeHaan & Gladwell,
2013):
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)
„the uneasy and sometimes all-­
consuming feeling that you’re
missing out — that your peers are
doing, in the know about or in
possession of more or something
better than you.” (JWT, 2011, S. 4)
FoMO: a new phenomenon?

8. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Former results
8
What we already know:
• Mobile phones are potential addiction sources (Carbonell, Oberst & Beranuy, 2013)
• FoMO correlates highly with social media engagementin general (Przybylski, Murayama,
DeHaan, & Gladwell, 2013) and Facebook usage in particular (Bosau, Aelker & Amaadachou, 2014)
• FoMO correlates with problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and habitual
checking behaviour (Collins, 2013)
Main questions:
Do people check their mobile phones in company as much as if they are
alone?
Is FoMO the main predictor of this behaviour or do social norms play a
role, too?

9. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
The study
9
Former studies:
§ many looked at PMPU only
§ only one study measured the
influence of FoMO – but in
general
This study:
§ integrated FoMO and several
measures for compulsive mobile
phone use
§ compared social situations (i.e.
being in company) vs. personal
situations (i.e. being alone)
Method:
• Online questionnaire (posted via Facebook, mailing-­lists and personal
emails, partly snowball sampling) in 2014
• N = 101
• age: < 18y = 16%, 18-­23y = 50%, 24-­30y = 29%, > 30y = 5%
• male = 46%, female = 54%

10. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
The scales
10
Fear of Missing Out -­ FoMO
(Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, & Gladwell, 2013)
Frequency of checking -­ FoC
(Collins, 2013)
Habitual checking behaviour -­ HCB
(Bayer & Campbell, 2012)
The independent variable:
Problematic mobile phone use -­ PMPU
(Güzeller & Cosguner, 2012)
The dependent variables:
Gender
The moderator:
Measured twice:
a) While being alone
b) While being in
company
Measured twice:
a) While being alone
b) While being in
company

11. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
2,79%
2,80%
2,90%
2,90%
2,96%
3,11%
3,21%
3,34%
3,40%
3,89%
1% 2% 3% 4% 5%
Ich$bekomme$Angst,$wenn$ich$nicht$weiß,$was$meine$Freunde$tun$
Wenn$ich$eine$gute$Zeit$habe$ist$es$wich:g$für$mich,$die$Details$online$zu$teilen$
(z.B.$Facebook$Status)$
Manchmal$frage$ich$mich,$ob$ich$zu$viel$Zeit$damit$verbringe$auf$dem$Laufenden$
zu$bleiben$was$momentan$vor$s...$
Wenn$ich$im$Urlaub$bin,$beobachte$ich$weiterhin,$was$meine$Freunde$machen$
Ich$habe$Angst,$dass$mir$nicht$nahestehende$Bekannte$tollere$Erlebnisse$
erfahren$
Ich$habe$Angst,$dass$meine$Freunde$tollere$Erlebnisse$erfahren$
Es$beunruhigt$mich,$wenn$ich$herausfinde,$dass$meine$Freunde$ohne$mich$Spaß$
haben$
Es$ist$wich:g,$dass$ich$die$"InsiderMJokes"$meiner$Freunde$verstehe$
Es$stört$mich,$wenn$ich$eine$Möglichkeit$verpasse$mich$mit$meinen$Freunden$zu$
treffen$
Es$stört$mich,$wenn$ich$ein$geplantes$Treffen$verpasse$
FoMO – Fear of Missing Out
11
Independent variable
• scale of Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, & Gladwell (2013)
• scale: 1 = „gilt überhaupt nicht für mich“ vs. 5 = „gilt komplett für mich“
• Cronbach’s α = .89

12. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Problematic mobile phone use
12
Dependent variable
• scale of Güzeller & Cosguner (2012)
• scale:
1 = „stimme überhaupt nicht zu“
vs.
5 = „stimme vollkommen zu“
• Originally: ONE factor scale;;
Cronbach’s α = .88
• Should be divided into two factors
(based on PCA, Varimax-­rotation)
a) reachability (α = .92)
b) addiction (α = .76)
2,29$
2,42$
2,44$
2,50$
2,51$
2,54$
2,59$
2,66$
2,72$
2,77$
2,81$
2,85$
2,79$
2,97$
3,25$
3,55$
3,70$
3,73$
1$ 2$ 3$ 4$ 5$
Ich$habe$Schmerzen$in$Kopf,$Daumen$und$Hand$aufgrund$der$
Nutzung$meines$Smartphones$
Die$Nutzung$meines$Smartphones$hat$einen$Rückgang$meiner$
schulischen$Leistung$zur$Folge$
Ich$komme$oA$zu$spät$zu$Verabredungen,$weil$ich$mit$meinem$
Smartphone$beschäAigt$bin,$wenn$ich$es$eigentlich$nicht$sollte$
Ich$sage$immer$zu$mir$selbst$"nur$noch$ein$paar$Minuten",$
während$ich$mein$Smartphone$benutze$
Ich$glaube$ein$Leben$ohne$Smartphones$ist$langweilig$und$
sinnlos$
Andere$beschweren$sich$darüber,$dass$ich$mein$Smartphone$zu$
oA$benutze$
Ich$habe$versucht$die$Nutzung$meines$Smartphones$zu$
verringern,$bin$aber$daran$gescheitert$
Ich$schaffe$es$nicht,$zu$lernen$oder$meine$Hausaufgaben$zu$
machen$aufgrund$der$Nutzung$meines$Smartphones$
Wenn$ich$mein$Smartphone$nicht$nutzen$kann,$bin$ich$genervt$
Ich$kann$mich$nicht$auf$das$Lernen$konzentrieren,$weil$ich$
Nachrichten$verschicke$und$empfange$oder$Spiele$auf$meinem$
Smartphone$spiele$
Es$gibt$Momente,$in$denen$ich$lieber$mein$Smartphone$nutzen$
würde,$als$mich$um$dringlichere$Angelegenheiten$zu$kümmern$
Ich$bemerke,$dass$ich$mit$meinem$Smartphone$beschäAigt$bin,$
obwohl$ich$eigentlich$gerade$andere$Dinge$tun$sollte$und$
dadurch$Probleme$entstehen$
Ich$nutze$mein$Smartphone$so$oA$ich$kann$
Ich$gehe$sofort$an$mein$Smartphone,$wenn$es$klingelt$und$
schreibe$auch$direkt$zurück$beim$Empfang$einer$Nachricht$
Ich$bin$besorgt$über$die$Akkuladung$von$meinem$Smartphone$
Ich$kontrolliere$regelmäßig$meine$verpassten$Anrufe$und$
empfangenen$Nachrichten$
Ich$mache$tagsüber$mein$Smartphone$nie$aus$
Ich$habe$mein$Smartphone$immer$dabei$
reachabilityaddiction

13. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
1,88$
2,19$
2,69$
3,25$
1$ 2$ 3$ 4$ 5$
Frequency of checking
13
Dependent variable
• scale of Collins (2013)
• scale:
1 = „niemals“
vs.
5 = „mehr als 7 mal“
• „In welcher Häufigkeit kontrollieren
Sie die folgenden Applikationen auf
ihrem Smartphone pro Tag?“
• Cronbach’s α = .63 (being alone)
Cronbach’s α = .80 (being in company)
2,97%
3,37%
3,83%
4,38%
1% 2% 3% 4% 5%
News%
E'Mail%
Social'Media%(Facebook,%
Twi6er%etc.)%
Anrufe%und%Nachrichten%
(Skype,%SMS,%WhatsApp%
etc.)%
13
alone in
company

14. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
2,31%
2,35%
2,28%
2,37%
2,32%
2,39%
2,34%
2,48%
2,69%
2,45%
1% 2% 3% 4% 5%
3,05%
3,07%
3,18%
3,25%
3,41%
3,50%
3,59%
3,62%
3,69%
3,76%
1% 2% 3% 4% 5%
..."mir"schwer"fällt,"es"zu"
unterlassen"
..."mir"Mühe"bereiten"
würde,"es"nicht"zu"tun"
..."für"mich"sehr"typisch"ist"
..."ich"erst"realisiere,"
nachdem"ich"damit"
begonnen"habe"
..."mir"nicht"das"Bedürfnis"
gibt"darüber"
nachzudenken"
..."ich"tue"ohne"dabei"
nachzudenken"
..."ich"auch"ohne"Grund"
dazu"tue"
..."ich"tue,"ohne"mich"
bewusst"daran"erinnern"zu"
müssen"
..."zu"meiner"täglichen"
Rou@ne"gehört"
..."ich"automa@sch"tue"
Habitual checking behaviour
14
Dependent variable
• scale of Bayer & Campbell (2012)
• scale:
1 = „stimme überhaupt nicht zu“
vs.
5 = „stimme vollkommen zu“
• „Das Kontrollieren von meinem
Smartphone ist etwas, dass ...“
• Cronbach’s α = .90 (being alone)
Cronbach’s α = .89 (being in company)
alone in
company

15. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Influence of FoMO on PMPU total
15
Regression analysis
• corr. R2 = 66,2 %
• NO main effect of gender
• Main effect of FoMO
a) male: β = .91***
b) female: β = .66***
• Interaction effect: β = .17*
2
2,5
3
3,5
Low FoMO High FoMO
ProblematicMobilePhoneUse
Men Women
FoMO is a very strong predictor and leads to more problematic
mobile phone use.
This influence, however, is slightly higher for males than for females.

16. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Influence of FoMO on PMPU:
addiction & reachability
16
Regression analyses
• corr. R2 = 66,7 %
• NO main effect of gender
• Main effect of FoMO
a) male: β = .86***
b) female: β = .78***
• NO interaction effect
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
Low FoMO High FoMO
PMPU-addiction
Men Women
• corr. R2 = 6,9 %
• NO main effect of gender
• Main effect of FoMO
a) male: β = .52***
b) female: β = .19
• Interaction effect: β = -­.32**
2,5
3
3,5
4
Low FoMO High FoMO
PMPU-reachability
Men Women
FoMO is a strong predictor,
equally for males and females
FoMO is only a predictor for
males
addiction reachability

17. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Differences of checking behaviour
17
1
2
3
4
5
HCB
-­‐alone HCB
-­‐in
company
FoC
-­‐alone FoC
-­‐in
company
MeanPaired t-­Test
• Comparison of
a) habitual checking behaviour
alone vs. in company
b) frequency of checking
alone vs. in company
• sign. difference between the two situations
a) habitual checking behaviour
t (100) = 14,18, p < .00
b) frequency of checking
t (100) = 13,56, p < .00
Habitual checking tendency and frequency of checking are much
smaller in social situations.
Therefore, the situation and its norms do play an important role.

18. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Influence of FoMO: comparison of alone vs. in
company
18
Bootstrap analyses
• Regression analysis (controlled for gender)
alone in
company
FoMO à HCB β
=
.72***
(95%
CI:
.59
-­‐ .85) β
=
.36***
(95%
CI:
.19
-­‐ .44)
FoMO à FoC β
=
.60***
(95%
CI:
.43
-­‐ .69) β
=
.23***
(95%
CI:
.06
-­‐ .40)
FoMO is a very strong predictor for habitual checking tendencies and
checking frequency.
FoMO is still a significant predictor in social situations, although its
influence is significantly lower.

19. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Influence of FoMO on HCB:
alone vs. in company
19
Regression analyses
• corr. R2 = 54,1 %
• Main effect of gender β = .22***
• Main effect of FoMO
a) male: β = .85***
b) female: β = .58***
• Interaction effect β = -­.19*
• corr. R2 = 15,2 %
• Main effect of gender β = .18*
• Main effect of FoMO
a) male: β = .52***
b) female: β = .19
• Interaction effect: β = -­.23*
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
Low FoMO High FoMO
Habitualcheckingbehaviour-
alone
Men Women
1,5
2
2,5
3
Low FoMO High FoMO
Habitualcheckingbehaviour-in
company
Men Women
19
FoMO is a stronger predictor
for males than for females
FoMO is only a predictor for males,
since females have HCB anyways
alone in
company

20. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing”
Influence of FoMO on FoC:
alone vs. in company
20
Regression analyses
• corr. R2 = 34,9 %
• NO main effect of gender
• Main effect of FoMO
a) male: β = .72***
b) female: β = .48***
• NO interaction effect
• corr. R2 = 7,3 %
• NO main effect of gender
• Main effect of FoMO
a) male: β = .41***
b) female: β = .05
• Interaction effect: β = -­.26*
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
Low FoMO High FoMO
frequencyofchecking-
alone
Men Women
1,5
2
2,5
3
Low FoMO High FoMO
frequencyofchecking
-incompany-
Men Women
FoMO is a strong predictor,
equally for males and females
FoMO is only a predictor for males,
since females do checking anyways
alone in
company

21. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing” 21
Ø FoMO is a very strong predictor of problematic mobile phone use
• While it explains phone addiction for males and females equally, it triggers
reachability only for males not for females
Ø People generally show more checking behaviour when they are alone, in social situations
the habitual checking tendency and the actual checking is lower
Ø FoMO is a very strong predictor of habitual checking tendencies and frequency of
checking
• Though, the influence is lowered in social situations maybe due to social norms
• However, the influence is higher for males
• But females generally check their phones more
Conclusion
FoMO can explain why people can’t stop to use their mobile
phones, even when they are in social situations where they
meet other people in person.

22. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing” 22
• Bayer, J., & Campbell, S. (2012). Texting While Driving On Automatic: Considering the Frequency-­Independent Side of
Habit. Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 28, 2083-­ 2090.
• Bosau C., Aelker, L. & Amaadachou, H. (2014). Ich darf nichts verpassen! – Kann “Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)”
Suchtverhalten in Facebook erklären? 49. congress of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs) in Bochum.
• Carbonell, X., Oberst, U. & Beranuy, M. (2013). The Cell Phone in the Twenty-First Century: ARisk forAddictionora
Necessary Tool? Principles ofAddiction.Vol.1,pp.901-909.
• Collins.L.(2013).FoMOand Mobile Phones: ASurvey Study.Unpublished masterthesis.Tilburg University,Tilburg.
• Guzeller, C., & Cosguner, T. (2012). Development of a Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale for TurkishAdolescents.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking , Vol. 15 (4), 205-­211.
• JWT (2011). Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), May 2011. Retrieved from:
http://www.jwtintelligence.com/production/FOMO_JWT_TrendReport_May2011.pdf [01.09.2012].
• JWT (2012). Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), March 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.jwtintelligence.com/wp-­
content/uploads/2012/03/F _JWT_FOMO-­ update_3.21.12.pdf [01.09.2012].
• Przybylski, A.K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C.R. & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioural
correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 29, pp. 1841-­1848.
Literature

23. Media Psychology 2015Bosau & Kühn: How to explain “phubbing” 23
Thank you very much for your
attention!
Contact details:
Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln
Prof. Dr. Christian Bosau, Dipl.-­Psych. & Master of HRM & IR
Schaevenstraße 1a/b
50676 Köln
Tel.: +49 221 20302-­0
e-­mail: christian.bosau@rfh-­koeln.de
Slideshare: cbosau
Twitter: cribocologne