Adaptation of The Nomophobia Scale to The Field of Physical Education and Sports: Alternative Models Strategy Measurement Model Test

This research is; It is the testing of measurement models with the alternative models’ strategy of the Nomophobia Scale, which was developed by Yildirim and Correia. For this purpose, data obtained from a sample of 303 physical education and sports undergraduate students in the fall semester of the 2020-2021 academic year. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was applied for the construct validity of the scale. Cronbach Alpha internal consistency and CR coefficients were calculated for reliability. The decomposition and convergence validities of the scale were tested with three alternative models with 3, 2 and 1 factors, using the X2 difference tests of the predicted four-factor model (inability to access four-item information, losing five-item connection, inability to communicate with six items, not feeling comfortable with five items). The fact that the AVE values of the factors are lower than the CR values and the AVE values above .5 indicate that the factors have a combined validity. The fact that the AVE values of the factors are higher than the MSV and ASV values means that the factors have discrimination validity. In addition, the fact that the AVE scores of the factors are higher than the inter-factor correlations indicate that there is discrimination validity. From these results, the assumed fourfactor model is the model that provides the best fit with the data and the scale can be used as a highly valid and reliable tool for the physical education and sports undergraduate student stage. Keyword: Nomophobia, physical education, alternative models’ strategy, construct validity. To cite this article; Taşkın, C., Canlı, U. (2021). Adaptation of the nomophobia scale to the field of physical education and sports: alternative models strategy measurement model test. The Journal of Eurasia Sport Sciences and Medicine, 3(2), 59-69. Adaptation of the Nomophobia Scale Taşkın, Canlı, 2021 J Eurasia Sports Sci Med; 2(3) 60 INTRODUCTION During the troubled pandemic days, we live in, the place of technology in our lives is not a matter of discussion and has taken its place among our obligations. Communication technologies have become inevitable with the increase of hours spent in homes. The impact of smart mobile phones on this development is undoubtedly the highest. When we look at the age range of users, it is seen that the young population's acceptance of new technologies and the rate of using mobile devices is relatively higher than older individuals (Brickfield,1984; Charness and Bosman, 1992; Kennedy, Judd, Churchward, Gray, and Krause, 2008). School years are the most intensive periods of this use, but university years have a large share. Nomophobic (fear of mobile phone deprivation) behaviors can be observed in students who are afraid of being separated from education and communication. Nomophobia, which is called the new phobia of the modern age, comes from the English word nomophobia (NO MObile PHOBIA) and is defined as the irrational fear experienced by the individual when he / she cannot access or communicate on a mobile device in clinical psychology (King, 2013; Yıldırım and Correia, 2015). It is stated that psychological imbalances suffered by mobile device addicts carry similar symptoms to other psychosocial disorders such as anxiety disorders or unstable mood. In nomophobia, the individual becomes anxious when he forgets to take his phone with him, when his phone is out of charge or out of range. This anxiety negatively affects the concentration of the individual on daily work (Dixit, 2010). Also expressed as the fear of being deprived of mobile phones, nomophobia has increased in parallel with the increase in the prevalence of smartphones (Akıllı, 2016). By testing the measurement model with the alternative models’ strategy, with the Nomophobia scale, which we conduct comprehensive validity and reliability studies; During the pandemic, the department of physical education and sports was chosen due to the assumption that it could make effective determinations on undergraduate university students. It is important to consider that the results obtained from the study can be used in studies about the fears of mobile phone deprivation on physical education and sports. The aim of this study is; To test the Nomophobia Scale, which measures mobile phone deprivation fears, to a comprehensive validity and reliability test with alternative models’ strategy. In addition, it was aimed to adapt the data obtained from physical education and sports undergraduate students by revealing the evidence for compliance with the original Nomophobia Scale (NMP-Q). METHODS Research Model This study, which examines the adaptation of the nomophobia scale for physical education and sports undergraduate students and its structural validity and reliability features, is basically a screening study. The screening model aims to describe the current situation as it is, and it is a research approach in which the views of the participants about a subject or an event or their characteristics such as interests, skills, abilities and attitudes are determined (Şata, 2016). Approval for the study was obtained from Trakya University Social and Human Sciences Research Ethics Committee with number 2020.08.06. Adaptation of the Nomophobia Scale Taşkın, Canlı, 2021 J Eurasia Sports Sci Med; 2(3) 61 Universe and Sample It was used as a model in the research. The research was carried out using the descriptive survey model. The universe of the study was composed of 1290 undergraduate students studying at Trakya University Kırkpınar Faculty of Sport Sciences. For the sample group, 303 students were chosen based on chance and represented the universe of the study. For sample selection, 95% confidence interval (α = 0.05) was taken as the margin of error. According to Yazıcıoğlu and Erdoğan (2004); At least 218 elements are considered sufficient to represent a universe with 1290 elements at ± 0.05 sampling error. The gender, department and grade variables of the students in the sample are presented in Table 1. Table 1. Demographic Information of the Research Sample Demographic Variables n=303 Frequency Percent (%) Gender Female 144 47,5