Motives and Contexts of Fear of Missing Out Among University Students During the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify the factorial structure of the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) scale in the academic context among university students. The study involved several steps including examining the stability of the items on the factors in the Arabic version of the scale, examining the factorial structure, and testing competing models that describe the phenomenon of FoMO. The study used the FoMO scale developed by Przybylski et al. (2013) after it was translated into Arabic and reviewed by two faculty members in the psychology department. The scale items were then rephrased to include various academic contexts accompanied by motives for FoMO. The study used descriptive-analytical methodology and the sample consisted of 306 undergraduate and graduate students at Suez Canal University. The study was conducted online from May 31 to June 4, 2021.

The results indicated stability of the social dimension vocabulary of the scale, and superiority of the three-factor model over the unidimensional model, as well as the second-order factor model. The reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) for the dimensions ranged from 0.44 to 0.74, and the emotional dimension of the scale had low stability, indicating the prevalence of negative mood among the sample participants during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.