[Development of a New Scale for Gauging Smartphone Dependence]

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Well-being

Background:

• Smartphone dependence is a growing concern.
• Existing tools may not adequately capture the nuances of problematic smartphone use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new scale for measuring smartphone dependence.
• To assess the reliability and validity of the proposed scale.

Main Methods:

• A prototype scale was administered to 133 medical students.
• Exploratory factor analysis was used to refine scale items.
• Likert scale responses were analyzed for reliability and validity.

Main Results:

• The Wakayama Smartphone-Dependence Scale (WSDS) was developed with 21 items across 3 subscales.
• Subscales cover internet communication immersion, time displacement, and inattentive use.
• Reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) ranged from 0.79 to 0.88, indicating strong internal consistency.

Conclusions:

• The WSDS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing smartphone dependence.
• The scale can be a useful tool for researchers and clinicians studying problematic smartphone use.