Determining typical smartphone usage : What data do we need?

Wilcockson, Thomas and Ellis, David Alexander and Shaw, Heather (2018) Determining typical smartphone usage : What data do we need? Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 21 (6). pp. 395-398. ISSN 2152-2715

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Abstract

Problematic smartphone use is an emerging issue in behavioural addiction research. At the same time, measuring smartphone use with mobile apps has become increasingly common. However, understanding how much data is necessary requires careful consideration if the field is to move forward. Here, we examine how much time should be spent measuring mobile phone operation in order to reliably infer general patterns of usage and repetitive checking behaviours. In a second analysis, we consider whether a self-report measure of problematic smartphone use is associated with real-time patterns of use. Results suggest that smartphone usage collected for a minimum of five days will reflect typical weekly usage (in hours), but habitual checking behaviours (uses lasting less than 15 seconds) can be reliably inferred within two days. These measurements did not reliably correlate with a self-reported measure. We conclude that patterns of smartphone use are repetitive and our results suggest that checking behaviour is a particularly consistent and efficient measure when quantifying typical and problematic smartphone usage.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
Additional Information:
Final publication is available from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2017.0652
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3315
Subjects:
?? smartphonesdigital tracesaddictionbehavioral addictioncommunicationgeneral medicinecomputer science applicationssocial psychologyhuman-computer interactionapplied psychologymedicine(all) ??
ID Code:
124444
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
25 Apr 2018 08:34
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
12 Dec 2024 00:23