Explaining the FoMO-phenomenon - Presentation at GOR 2017

Prof. Dr. C. Bosau, RFH KölnNina Bito, RFH KölnYvonne Götze, RFH Köln

Explaining the FoMO-Phenomenon – What are thecorrelates and predictors of this fear-of-missing-out?

Contact: christian.bosau@rfh-koeln.de

General Online Research Conference GOR 17

15-17 March 2017, HTW-Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, Germany

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Suggested citation: Bosau, C., Bito, N. & Götze, Y. 2017. “Explaining the FoMO-Phenomenon – What are the correlates andpredictors of this fear-of-missing-out?” General Online Research (GOR) Conference, Berlin.

Explaining the FoMO-Phenomenon

What are the correlates and predictors of this fear-of-missing-out?

C. Bosau, N. Bito & Y. Götze

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Quelle: http://healthmeup.com/photogallery-healthy-living/could-you-be-suffering-from-fear-of-missing-out-fomo/32443/3

Nowadays ....

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Quelle: http://prevenblog.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-Teen-Girls-Text-Messaging-37136302.jpg

Recently ....

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Quelle: http://www.ithinkonpaper.com/fomo/

What is it about ....?

GOR 2017Bosau, Bito & Götze: Explaining the FoMO phenomenon 6

Quelle: http://www.jwtintelligence.com Quelle: http://www.jwtintelligence.com

FoMO: a new phenomenon?


Quelle: http://www.jwtintelligence.com

Only recently, the discussion aboutthis 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’remissing out — that your peers aredoing, in the know about or in possession of more or somethingbetter than you.” (JWT, 2011, S. 4)

FoMO: a new phenomenon?

GOR 2017Bosau, Bito & Götze: Explaining the FoMO phenomenon

Former results

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What we already know:• Mobile phones are potential addiction sources (Carbonell, Oberst & Beranuy, 2013) • FoMO correlates highly with social media engagement in general (Przybylski, Murayama,

DeHaan, & Gladwell, 2013) and Facebook usage in particular (Bosau, Aelker & Amaadachou, 2014, Bosau & Müller, 2015)

• FoMO correlates with problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and habitualchecking behaviour (Collins, 2013;; Bosau & Ludwig, 2017)

• FoMO leads to lower satisfaction as well as lower quality in private relationships(Bosau & Ruvinsky, 2016)

• FoMO increases the success of marketing campaigns (JWT 2011, 2012)

Main questions:What leads to FoMO? What are the correlates and causes of this newphenomenon?


Marketing examples (see JWT, 2012)

9


The new two studies

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Former studies:§ looked at the outcomes andthe effects of FoMO

These two studies:§ analyzed the correlates and predictors ofFoMO

§ gives further insight into the nomologicalnetwork of FoMO

Method Study 2:• Online questionnaire (posted via Facebook, mailing-lists and personal emails, partly snowball sampling) in 2016;; N = 174

• age: < 24y = 44%, 25-34y = 28%, 35-44y = 12%, 45-54y = 12%, > 54y = 5%• male = 29%, female = 71%

Method Study 1:• Online questionnaire (posted via Facebook, mailing-lists and personal emails, partly snowball sampling) in 2016;; N = 94

• age: < 24y = 37%, 25-34y = 50%, 35-44y = 8%, > 44y = 5%• male = 45%, female = 55%


The scales

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social curiosity(Renner, 2006)

The independent variable in study 1:

The dependent variable: Fear of Missing Out - FoMO(Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, & Gladwell, 2013)

need to belong(Leary, Kelly, Cottrell & Schreindorfer, 2013)

attachment styles(Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991)

psychological need satisfaction(Sheldon, Elliot, Kim & Kasser, 2001)

The independent variable in study 2:

life satisfaction(Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan & Gladwell, 2013)

general mood(Diener & Emmons, 1984)


1,70

1,80

2,10

2,20

2,30

2,40

2,90

3,10

3,10

3,30

1 2 3 4 5

Ich$werde$nervös,$wenn$ich$nicht$weiß,$was$meine$Freunde$gerade$tun

Wenn$ich$eine$tolle$Zeit$habe,$ist$es$mir$wichtig,$die$Details$online$zu$teilen$(z.B.$Statusupdates)

Auch$im$Urlaub$behalte$ich$im$Auge,$was$meine$Freunde$machen

Manchmal$frage$ich$mich,$ob$ich$zu$viel$Zeit$damit$verbringe$zu$verfolgen,$was$gerade$überall$passiert

Ich$habe$Angst,$die$Erfahrungen$anderer$Menschen$seien$reichhaltiger$und$intensiver$als$meine

Ich$habe$Angst,$die$Erfahrungen$meiner$Freunde$seien$reichhaltiger$und$intensiver$als$meine

Wenn$ich$eine$Gelegenheit$verpasse,$mich$mit$meinen$Freunden$zu$treffen,$stört$mich$das

Wenn$ich$bemerke,$dass$meine$Freunde$ohne$mich$Spaß$haben,$betrübt$mich$das

Es$ärgert$mich,$wenn$ich$an$einem$geplanten$Treffen$mit$Freunden$nicht$teilnehmen$kann

Es$ist$mir$wichtig,$die$Witze$meiner$Freunde$zu$verstehen,$für$die$man$eingeweiht$sein$muss

FoMO – Fear of Missing Out

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Dependent variable• scale of Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, & Gladwell (2013)• scale: 1 = „trifft gar nicht zu“ vs. 5 = „trifft voll zu“• Cronbach’s α = .84 (study 1) and α = .79 (study 2)

Item wording and des-‐criptive results study 2:


Study 1: the results

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Fear ofMissingOut

psychologicalneed

satisfaction

life satisfaction

general mood

-.47***

-.26***

-.28***

bivariate resultsautonomycompetencerelatedness


standardizedBeta

-‐.17*

-‐.02

-‐.43***

.00

-‐.11

.21

standardizedBeta

-‐.15*

-‐.02

-‐.47***

-‐.03

.21

standardizedBeta

-‐.15*

-‐.02

-‐.48***

.22


14

standardizedBeta

Age -‐.11

Gender (female=0; male=1) .00

psychological need satisfactionlife satisfactiongeneral mood

corr. R2 -‐.01

* p < .10, ** p < .05, *** p < .01

• dependent variable: Fear-of-missing-out (FoMO)• stepwise regression analysis

“psychological need satisfaction“ is clearly the strongest predictor



15

Fear ofMissingOut

social curiosity

need to belong

attachmentstyle

.36***

.69***

+++ preoccupied style + fearful style

bivariate results



16

standardizedBeta

Age -‐.33***

Gender (female=1; male=2) -‐.06

social curiosityneed to belongdummy -‐ preoccupied styledummy -‐ fearful styledummy -‐ dismissing style

corr. R2 .11

* p < .10, ** p < .05, *** p < .01

standardizedBeta

-‐.29***

.01

.30***

.19

standardizedBeta

-‐.18***

.05

.12**

.61***

.51

standardizedBeta

-‐.18***

.07

.13**

.56***

.18***

.09

.07

.53

• dependent variable: Fear-of-missing-out (FoMO)• stepwise regression analysis

“need to belong“ is clearly the strongest predictor



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standardizedBeta

social curiosity .10

need to belong .59***

dummy -‐ preoccupied style .22***

dummy -‐ fearful style .05

dummy -‐ dismissing style .06

corr. R2 .52

* p < .10, ** p < .05, *** p < .01

standardizedBeta

.24**

.56***

.01

.19

.08

.37

• dependent variable: Fear-of-missing-out (FoMO)• regression analysis – comparison male vs. female

“social

curiosity“ is only a predictor

for males

preoccupied attachment

correlates only for females


§ The studies can show what important correlates and predictors of fear of missing out are and how “fomotics” (people suffering from FoMO) can be characterized:

§ “Fomotics“ are people that do not feel their basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) being fulfilled.

§ Likewise, they tend to have lower life satisfaction and a lower general mood.

§ One main driver for this fear of missing out on social contact is – plausibly – an important basic psychological need: the need to belong.

§ However, “fomotics” also have – to some extend, namely the males – social curiosity and can be charaterized by a preoccupied attachment style (especially the women).

Conclusion

For marketeers:If you try to use the concept of FoMO in a marketing campaign, be aware of the problem, what kind of people eventually would be attracted by your campaign.


• Bartholomew, K. & Horowitz, L.M. (1991). Attachment Styles Among Young Adults: A Test of a Four-Category Model. Journal ofPersonality and Social Psychology, Vol. 61 (2), pp. 226-244.

• Bosau C., Aelker, L. & Amaadachou, H. (2014). Ich darf nichts verpassen! – Kann “Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)” Suchtverhalten in Facebook erklären? 49. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie in Bochum.

• Bosau, C. & Ludwig, T. (2017). FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) und die exzessive Smartphone-Nutzung - Tatsächlich ein Risikofaktor für Studienleistungen? 21. Konferenz der Gesellschaft für angewandte Wirtschaftspsychologie (GWPs) in Darmstadt.

• Bosau, C. & Müller, P. (2015). FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) beeinträchtigt Studienerfolg – Warum man in einer Lehrveranstaltung sein Smartphone lieber ausschalten sollte. 19. Konferenz der Gesellschaft für angewandte Wirtschaftspsychologie (GWPs) in Heide.

• Bosau, C. & Ruvinsky, M. (2016). Die Nutzung von Smartphones in Partnerschaften – Negative Effekte von Phubbing und FoMO auf die Beziehungsqualität. 50. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie in Leipzig.

• Carbonell, X., Oberst, U. & Beranuy, M. (2013). The Cell Phone in the Twenty-First Century: A Risk for Addiction or a Necessary Tool? Principles of Addiction. Vol. 1, pp. 901-909.

• Collins. L. (2013). FoMO and Mobile Phones: A Survey Study. Unveröffentlichte Masterarbeit. Tilburg University, Tilburg.• Diener, E., & Emmons, R.A. (1984). The independence of positive and negative affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,

Vol. 47, pp. 1005–1117. • 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].• Leary, M.R., Kelly, K.M., Cottrell, A. & Schreindorfer, L.S. (2013). Construct Validity of the Need to Belong Scale: Mapping the

Nomological Network. Journal of Personality Assessment, Vol. 95 (6), pp. 610–624. • 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.• Renner, B. (2006). Curiosity About People: The Development of a Social Curiosity Measure in Adults. Journal of Personality

Assessment, Vol. 87 (3), pp. 305-316.• Sheldon, K.M, Elliot, A.J., Kim, Y. & Kasser, T. (2001). What is Satisfying About Satisfying Events? Testing 10 Candidate

Psychological Needs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 80 (2), pp. 325–339.

Literature


Thank you very much for yourattention!

Contact details:

Rheinische Fachhochschule KölnProf. Dr. Christian Bosau, Dipl.-Psych. & Master of HRM & IRSchaevenstraße 1a/b50676 KölnTel.: +49 221 20302-0e-mail: christian.bosau@rfh-koeln.de

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Explaining the FoMO-phenomenon - Presentation at GOR 2017

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