CHFA | Psychology Department Showcase: Projects In-Process
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Depressive Symptoms, & Drinking Habits Among College Students
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Criminal Justice
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Gage Jordan; Dr. Jeffrey Osborne
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Fear of missing out (“FOMO”) is a relatively new construct that is posited to affect younger persons (e.g., college students). With the rise of younger persons engaging in problematic social media use, FOMO is becoming a more salient issue, with recent research documenting the negative psychosocial outcomes associated with this construct. For example, FOMO may have many negative effects, leading to issues such as depression, anxiety, as well as problematic alcohol consumption. However, this research has typically assessed FOMO as a single predictor in univariate models (e.g., FOMO predicting depression, or FOMO predicting alcohol-related consequences). However, no research to date has proposed or investigated path models that may better explain the relationships between FOMO, depression, anxiety, alcohol use, social media use, and so forth. Thus, this study seeks to understand whether FOMO leads to engagement in problematic social media use, which in turn may lead to affective symptomology (e.g., anxiety and depression). This study will measure FOMO, depression, and alcohol consumption in a sample of Murray State University (MSU) students via the SONA survey system. Participants will complete a battery of self-report measures inquiring about FOMO, depression, alcohol consumption, and other relevant variables (e.g., demographics). The primary hypotheses are that a) FOMO and problematic alcohol consumption will be positively correlated; b) FOMO and depressive symptoms will be positively correlated; and c) problematic social media use will mediate the relationship between FOMO and depressive symptoms, such that greater endorsement of FOMO will lead to more time spent on social media, which in turn will lead to greater depressive symptoms. Correlation analyses will be conducted in order to explore associations these constructs, which will be used to determine whether or not the first two hypotheses are supported. A mediational analysis will be conducted to determine whether or not the third hypothesis is supported.
Spring Scholars Week 2022 Event
Psychology: Projects In-Progress
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Depressive Symptoms, & Drinking Habits Among College Students
Fear of missing out (“FOMO”) is a relatively new construct that is posited to affect younger persons (e.g., college students). With the rise of younger persons engaging in problematic social media use, FOMO is becoming a more salient issue, with recent research documenting the negative psychosocial outcomes associated with this construct. For example, FOMO may have many negative effects, leading to issues such as depression, anxiety, as well as problematic alcohol consumption. However, this research has typically assessed FOMO as a single predictor in univariate models (e.g., FOMO predicting depression, or FOMO predicting alcohol-related consequences). However, no research to date has proposed or investigated path models that may better explain the relationships between FOMO, depression, anxiety, alcohol use, social media use, and so forth. Thus, this study seeks to understand whether FOMO leads to engagement in problematic social media use, which in turn may lead to affective symptomology (e.g., anxiety and depression). This study will measure FOMO, depression, and alcohol consumption in a sample of Murray State University (MSU) students via the SONA survey system. Participants will complete a battery of self-report measures inquiring about FOMO, depression, alcohol consumption, and other relevant variables (e.g., demographics). The primary hypotheses are that a) FOMO and problematic alcohol consumption will be positively correlated; b) FOMO and depressive symptoms will be positively correlated; and c) problematic social media use will mediate the relationship between FOMO and depressive symptoms, such that greater endorsement of FOMO will lead to more time spent on social media, which in turn will lead to greater depressive symptoms. Correlation analyses will be conducted in order to explore associations these constructs, which will be used to determine whether or not the first two hypotheses are supported. A mediational analysis will be conducted to determine whether or not the third hypothesis is supported.