Psychometric properties of the fear of missing out (FOMO) Scale in iranian students: Reliability, validity, factor structure, and measurement invariance

Abstract

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is described as negative affect resulting from thoughts that one is left out of the rewarding experiences of others. The development of a popular FOMO scale (Przybylski et al., 2013) has generated a wealth of research studies on FOMO. The present study aimed to examine the reliability, factor structure, measurement invariance, and construct validity of the FOMO scale using a cross-sectional online survey administered to a convenience sample of 400 Iranian students. The results showed that the construct validity (loadings > 0.40), model goodness-of-fit (CMIN/DF = 1.56, RMSEA = 0.038, CFI = 0.99, GFI=0.97 and NFI=0.97), internal homogeneity reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.91), and composite reliability (0.84) of the scale were good. Results indicate that the 10-item Persian version of the FOMO scale is a reliable and valid tool in an Iranian student sample. The current findings serve as a confirmation of the utility of the FOMO scale and allow for the advancement of research on mental health implications of social media use in Persian-speaking populations.