Data in Brief 50 (2023) 109479

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Data in Brief

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/dib

Data Article

Data on the model of loneliness and

smartphone use intensity as a mediator of
self-control, emotion regulation, and spiritual
meaningfulness in nomophobia
Triantoro Safaria∗, Nofrans Eka Saputra, Diana Putri Arini
Ahmad Dahlan University, Jambi University, Charitas Musi Catholic University, Indonesia

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The study was conducted in three locations: Yogyakarta,

Received 22 May 2023 Palembang, and Jambi. A total of 355 psychology students
Revised 4 July 2023 from three different universities were recruited using pur-
Accepted 1 August 2023 posive sampling. Among the participants, there were 313 fe-
Available online 9 August 2023
males (88.03%) and 42 males (11.83%). The participants com-
Dataset link: Data on the Model of
pleted several questionnaires in the Indonesian version, in-
Loneliness and Smartphone Use Frequency cluding the nomophobia NMP-Q scale (Yildirim & Correia,
as a Mediator of Self-Control, Emotion 2015), the R-UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell et al., 1980), the
Regulation, and Spiritual Meaningfulness in self-control scale (Tangney, Baumeister & Boone, 2004), the
Nomophobia (Original data) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roe-
mer, 2004), and the Spiritual Meaningfulness scale developed
Keywords:
Nomophobia
based on the theory of Pargament (2007).
Emotion regulation Before commencing the analysis, the research team ensured
Self-control the accuracy and reliability of the collected data sets. Par-
Spiritual meaningfulness ticipants who did not fully complete the questionnaire were
Loneliness removed from the sample. Ethical clearance for this study
Smartphone use intensity was obtained from the research ethics committee, and the
researchers obtained permission from the respective univer-
sity administrations for data collection. Prior to participation,
all individuals agreed to take part in the study, provided vol-
untary informed consent, and were assured of the confiden-
tiality and anonymity of their responses.

∗
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (T. Safaria).
Social media: @PrinceJava1974 (T. Safaria), @nofransEka (N.E. Saputra), @a_psikolog (D.P. Arini)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.109479
2352-3409/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
2 T. Safaria, N.E. Saputra and D.P. Arini / Data in Brief 50 (2023) 109479

© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.

This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Specifications Table

Subject Psychology
Specific subject area Psychology (General)
Type of data Excel data file, Table
How the data were acquired Questionnaires, we collected the data through paper-pencil surveys administered
in the classrooms
Data format Raw, Analyzed
Description of data collection The data collection took place during June-July 2022, where a total of 355
participants completed the scales. The surveys were administered through offline
paper-pencil surveys conducted in the classroom setting.
Data source location The data for the research was collected from three distinct cities: Palembang,
Jambi, and Yogyakarta. The study participants consisted of university students
selected from Ahmad Dahlan University, Jambi University, and Charitas Musi
Catholic University.
Data accessibility Repository name: zenodo
Direct URL to data:
(https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7933666)

1. Value of the Data

• The dataset provides some important information about nomophobia, emotion regulation,
self-control, spiritual meaningfulness, loneliness, and smartphone use intensity in Indone-
sia.
• This data can be used in structural equation model (SEM), item response model, machine
learning model, and other types of analysis.
• This data is taken from the cultural background of Indonesia, then it can be used for
cross-cultural studies related to nomophobia.

2. Objective

The phenomenon of nomophobia has emerged as a relatively recent discovery within the
past 10 years. Nomophobia, which stands for No Mobile-phone Phobia, has become recognized
as a new mental health issue in the digital era [1,2]. It involves an irrational fear or anxiety that
arises when individuals are unable to use, contact, communicate, or access their mobile phones.
This fear encompasses concerns about missing out on information and feeling disconnected from
virtual communication through the internet [3–5].
Previous studies have revealed the detrimental effects of nomophobia on individuals’ psycho-
logical well-being. It has been significantly associated with problematic dependency, prohibited
use, and excessive use of smartphones [6]. Additionally, it has been linked to obsessive behaviors
[7,8], anxiety [9,10], panic disorders [11,12], stress [13], and the fear of missing out (FOMO) [14].
However, there is still much to be uncovered about nomophobia, and further research is needed
to explore and understand the influencing factors, particularly among teenagers.

3. Data Description

We provide the research data in Excel file format, along with research questionnaires avail-
able in both English and Indonesian languages, accessible in the Zenodo repository. The ques-
tionnaire encompasses measurements of respondents’ level of nomophobia, emotion regulation,
 T. Safaria, N.E. Saputra and D.P. Arini / Data in Brief 50 (2023) 109479 3

self-control, spiritual meaningfulness, loneliness, smartphone use intensity, and demographic

data (age and gender). This research was conducted in Yogyakarta, Palembang, and Jambi be-
tween June and July 2022. Purposive sampling was utilized to recruit 355 students from three
universities in these cities to participate in the study. Out of the participants, 313 (88.2%) were
female and 42 (11.8%) were male. It is worth noting that in Indonesia, the majority of psychology
students are women, which results in an imbalance in the gender distribution within the sam-
ple data. Table 1 displays the descriptive statistics of all variables, while Table 2 presents the
correlation matrix results between variables. Table 3 presents the demographic data of gender.
Table 4 presents the age data of respondents.

Table 1
Descriptive statistic results of all variables.

Variables N Minimum Maximum Mean SD

Nomophobia 355 14.00 52.00 35.8901 6.05

Self-control 355 12.00 43.00 30.6732 4.8
Smartphone use 355 4.00 16.00 10.4338 2.3
Emotion regulation 355 5.00 20.00 12.2085 2.5
Loneliness 355 11.00 40.00 20.2732 5.3
Spirituality meaningfulness 355 17.00 40.00 32.5183 4.9

Table 2
Correlation matrix between variables.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
∗∗ ∗∗ ∗∗ ∗∗
Nomophobia 1.0 0 0 −0.211 .515 −0.235 .233 .008 .047
Self-control −0.211∗ ∗ 1.0 0 0 −0.296∗ ∗ .434∗ ∗ −0.454∗ ∗ .466∗ ∗ .124∗
Smartphone use 1.0 0 0 −0.441 .201∗ ∗ −0.085 −0.022
Emotion regulation 1.0 0 0 −0.249∗ ∗ .149∗ .109∗
Loneliness 1.0 0 0 −0.249∗ ∗ −0.004
Spirituality 1.0 0 0 .193∗ ∗
Gender 1.0 0 0
∗
p < .05.
∗∗
p < .01.

Table 3
Distribution of gender.

Gender Frequency Percent

Male 42 11.8
Female 313 88.2

Tabel 4
Distribution of respondents’ age.

Age Frequency Percent

20 years 98 27.6
21 years 62 17.5
22 years 59 16.6
23 years 21 5.9
24 years 3 .8
25 years 17 4.8
19 years 95 26.8
4 T. Safaria, N.E. Saputra and D.P. Arini / Data in Brief 50 (2023) 109479

4. Experimental Design, Materials and Methods

4.1. Participants

The study was conducted in Yogyakarta, Palembang, and Jambi using purposive sampling to
recruit 355 participants from three universities. These participants comprised 313 (88.03%) were
female and 42 (11.83%) were male. Prior to their involvement, all respondents provided informed
consent and willingly participated without any form of coercion. Moreover, the research team
obtained permission from the respective schools and universities to collect data. As a gesture
of appreciation, all participants received ballpoint pens upon completing the questionnaire. Data
collection took place over a two-month period, officially commencing in June 2022 and conclud-
ing in July 2022.

4.2. Measurement

Nomophobia (MNPQ). Yildirim and Correia [15] developed the nomophobia (No Mo Phobia-
Questionnaire) to evaluate the various dimensions of nomophobia. Factor Analysis (EFA) was
used to identify four NMP-Q factors, including “unable to communicate (I would feel nervous
because I would not be able to receive text messages and calls),” “lost connection (I would be ner-
vous because I would be disconnected from my online identity),” “unable to access information and
providing information (I will feel uncomfortable without immediate access to information through
my phone),” and “giving up convenience (If I could not check my smartphone for a while, I would
feel a desire to check it).” The varimax rotation approach employed principal component anal-
ysis (PCA) to test the correlation between these factors. In addition to these original factors,
the questionnaire was further modified through the process of translating and adjusting item
sentences. We utilized 13 items from the NMPQ questionnaire that had a total item correlation
above 0.30. To adapt the scale for this study, a back-to-back translation process was conducted
by two English-fluent experts. The resulting nomophobia scale comprised of four aspects: inabil-
ity to communicate, losing connectedness, inability to access information, and giving up conve-
nience. Participants responded to each item using a 4-point scale, choosing from the response
options of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. The Cronbach’s alpha coeffi-
cient for the scale was 0.869 overall, with the total item correlation of the nomophobia scale
ranging from 0.311 to 0.775.
Loneliness. To measure loneliness, we utilized the R-UCLA Loneliness Scale [16]. We selected
10 items from the R-UCLA questionnaire that had a total item correlation above 0.30, that eval-
uate emotional loneliness (I feel rejected by my surroundings) and social loneliness (I don’t have
any close friends who are close to me). To adapt the scale for this study, a back-to-back transla-
tion process was conducted by two English-fluent experts. Participants responded to each item
using a 4-point scale, choosing from the response options of never, rarely, sometimes, and often.
The loneliness scale had a total item correlation between 0.336 to 0.637 and an alpha-Cronbach
coefficient of 0.722.
Self-control. The self-control scale, developed by Tangney, Baumeister & Boone [17], encom-
passes four dimensions: regulating thought and emotion (I have difficulty concentrating), resisting
temptation (I am good at resisting temptation), breaking habits (I find it hard to stop bad habits),
and maintaining good self-discipline (People would say that I have strong self-discipline). We uti-
lized 12 items with a total item correlation above 0.30, that evaluate self-emotion appraisal,
regulation of emotions, use of emotion, and others-emotion appraisal. During the adaptation
process, a back-to-back translation was conducted by two English-fluent experts. Participants
responded to each item using a 4-point scale, choosing from the response options of Strongly
Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. The self-control scale exhibited a total item cor-
relation ranging from 0.324 to 0.479, with an alpha-Cronbach coefficient of 0.614.
 T. Safaria, N.E. Saputra and D.P. Arini / Data in Brief 50 (2023) 109479 5

Emotion regulation. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS); Gratz & Roemer)
[18] is utilized to assess emotion regulation. We selected 5 out of the 18 items that had a to-
tal item correlation above 0.30. This scale measures five aspects: strategies (When I am angry,
I struggle to finish other tasks), non-acceptance (When I am angry, I acknowledge my emotions),
awareness (I have difficulty understanding my own feelings), goals (When I am angry, I have diffi-
culty completing tasks), and impulse (When I’m upset, I lose control over my behaviors). The adap-
tation process includes back-to-back translation, which is done by two English-fluent experts.
Participants responded to each item using a 4-point scale, choosing from the response options
of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. The total item correlation of the emo-
tion regulation scale ranges from 0.275 to 0.679. The alpha-Cronbach coefficient of this scale for
measuring emotion regulation is 0.882.
Spiritual Meaningfulness. The spiritual level scale was created utilizing Pargament’s theory
[19], comprises eight items and was developed by the researchers. The researcher conducted
the development of items for the spiritual meaningfulness scale through several stages, includ-
ing defining the variable, reviewing existing literature, generating an initial item pool, evaluating
the items, conducting pilot testing, reducing the number of items, refining the final items, and
assessing the reliability and validity of the scale. Based on Pargament’s theory, we formulated
measuring items encompassing two aspects: theistic meaning (I feel the presence of God the Cre-
ator) and spiritual meaning (When I worship, I feel enjoyment and peace). Participants responded
to each item using a 4-point scale, choosing from the response options of Strongly Agree, Agree,
Disagree, and Strongly Disagree The total item correlation for the spirituality scale ranges from
0.311 to 0.769. The alpha-Cronbach coefficient for this scale is 0.842.
Smartphone use. To assess the level of smartphone usage among participants, a questionnaire
on smartphone usage intensity was developed by the researchers. This questionnaire focused
on two aspects: the frequency (I use my phone every day) and duration of smartphone usage (I
spend 12 h a day playing on my phone). Participants responded to each item using a 4-point scale,
choosing from the response options of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.
The total item correlation for the smartphone use scale ranged from 0.353 to 0.483. Furthermore,
the alpha-Cronbach coefficient for this scale was determined to be 0.774.
As an additional clarification, all item scores in the Excel file have been scored according to
their response scores. Other researchers can directly use the data without the need to reverse
the scores. The research data can be downloaded from the Zenodo repository with the provided
link in the data accessibility section. The following items on the self-control scale, namely KD1,
KD2, KD3, KD4, KD5, KD7, KD8, and KD9, have been reverse-coded in the Excel data file. Addi-
tionally, the item RE5 on the emotion regulation scale has also been reverse-coded. Furthermore,
the item KS9 on the loneliness scale has been reverse-coded. Lastly, the items SM6, SM7, and
SM8 on the spiritual meaningfulness scale have been reverse-coded in the Excel data file.

Ethics Statements

This study has received ethical clearance from the Research Ethics Committee of Universi-
tas Ahmad Dahlan (Ethics Number: 012206071 KEP UAD). Additionally, the researchers have
obtained a data collection permit from the university administration. All participants willingly
agreed to take part in the study and provided their signature on a voluntary informed consent
form. The confidentiality and anonymity of all participants were assured.
6 T. Safaria, N.E. Saputra and D.P. Arini / Data in Brief 50 (2023) 109479

Data Availability

Data on the Model of Loneliness and Smartphone Use Frequency as a Mediator of Self-Control,
Emotion Regulation, and Spiritual Meaningfulness in Nomophobia (Original data) (zenodo).

CRediT Author Statement

Triantoro Safaria: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Methodology, Data curation,

Investigation, Writing – review & editing; Nofrans Eka Saputra: Data curation, Investigation;
Diana Putri Arini: Data curation, Investigation, Writing – review & editing.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research Technology and
Higher Education with contract number 157/E.5/PG.02.00.PT/2022.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal rela-
tionships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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