Attitude Toward the Smartphone (Security Comfort)

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer derives feelings of security, reassurance, and comfort from the reliable availability of their smartphone. Items tap the emotional comfort of knowing the device will always be accessible, the reassurance of being able to use it on demand, and the perception of the phone as a dependable companion. This subscale captures the attachment security dimension of the consumer-smartphone relationship, distinct from hedonic or functional dimensions.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• Knowing that my phone will always be there makes me feel secure.
• It is reassuring to know that I can use my smartphone whenever I want.
• Whenever I need my phone I know it will be there for me.
• I think of my phone as a reliable companion.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Single alpha: α = .88 — Melumad & Pham (2020, Study 1). VALIDITY: Not formally addressed. Scale created by Melumad (2021, personal correspondence). Part of a six-scale smartphone battery alongside Haptic Pleasure (SMHP), Privacy (SMPR), Portability (SMPT), Private Space (SMPS), and Stress Coping (SMST).

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Melumad, Shiri and Michel Tuan Pham (2020). The smartphone as a pacifier: A psychological and physiological investigation of its effects on stressed consumers. Journal of Marketing Research, 57(2), 236–256.

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