Propiedades psicométricas del test de dependencia al móvil (TDM) en estudiantes universitarios ecuatorianos

Abstract

Mobile phone dependence is a problem that presents itself as a repetitive behavior of distress when deprived of the use of the cell phone, which causes feelings of significant discomfort when not being able to access the device and that only becomes regulated when the person returns to use it. OBJECTIVE: To determine the psychometric properties of validity and reliability of the Mobile Phone Dependence Test in Ecuadorian university students; this instrument evaluates the excessive use of and dependence on mobile devices. The original version of the test reveals a Cronbach's alpha of 0.94, consists of 22 items and a Likert scale from 0 to 4. METHOD: Instrumental psychometric study, with a descriptive and correlational scope, and a non -experimental and cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 436 university students belonging to a university in Ecuador, 29.8% were men and 70.2% were women. RESULTS: The results indicate a reliability of the total scale with a Cronbach's α of 0.924 and a factorial structure of four dimensions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The instrument obtained good reliability, and the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicates that the instrument is feasible to use in university population in the Ecuadorian conte xt.