Attitude Toward the Smartphone (Private Space)

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer uses their smartphone as a psychological retreat — a personal private space that enables them to mentally disengage from their surroundings and enter their own world. Items capture the sense of safe space, mental blocking of the environment, retreat into a private domain, and immersion in a personal world facilitated by smartphone use. This subscale reflects the escapist and boundary-regulation function of smartphone engagement.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• When I use my phone I feel like I am in my own safe space.
• When I use my phone I can mentally block my surroundings.
• My phone allows me to be in my own world.
• My phone enables me to retreat to my private space.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Single alpha: α = .94 — 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), Security Comfort (SMSC), 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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