PHUBBING SCALE: PSYCHOMETRIC EVIDENCES IN THE BRAZILIAN CONTEXT

Phubbing refers to the act of looking down on or snubbing someone in a social setting, to the detriment of checking and/or paying attention to their own smartphone during a real conversation. The present research aimed to adapt the Phubbing Scale (PS) to the Brazilian context, gathering evidence of validity and precision, specifically verifying the pattern of relationship with smartphone addiction. Therefore, two studies were carried out with participants from different states in Brazil. In the first (n= 237), an adaptation of the PS was developed and an exploratory factor analysis was carried out, which suggested a two-factor structure, as theorized (F1 = Communication disturbance; F2 = Phone obsession). In the second (n= 274), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed, which showed adequate adjustment of the bifactor model (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.05). Furthermore, Pearson (r) demonstration was carried out, which showed a positive and statistically significant relationship between smartphone addiction and phubbing factors, providing convergent validity. Moreover, satisfactory accuracy was found in both studies. Concluded that the PS presents itself as an instrument with good psychometric qualities in the Brazilian context, and it can be a useful tool in the assessment of phubbing and its correlates.